Philadelphia Phillies: 3 relievers the club should sign

Three free-agent relievers still available who the Phillies should consider.

Heading into the offseason, many thought the Philadelphia Phillies were not going to be big spenders this winter. However, they have displayed a willingness to spend, re-signing J.T Realmuto and Didi Gregorius, along with adding two key pieces to the bullpen. The first was a three-team deal that brought in Jose Alvarado from the Tampa Bay Rays. The Phils followed that up with the signing of right-hander Archie Bradley to a one-year, $6 million contract.

Coming off of a 2020 campaign in which the Phillies had Major League Baseball’s worst bullpen earned run average in the last 90 years, there is still work to be done to improve a bullpen that seemingly could not hold a lead. Here are three affordable free-agent reliever options that would immediately help improve their bullpen.

3. Cam Bedrosian

The son of former Phillies Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Steve Bedrosian, right-hander Cam Bedrosian would be a natural fit with his dad’s longtime team. Bedrosian, 29, has spent the last seven seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. Overall, he was effective pitching to a 2.45 ERA and 2.92 FIP last season in 14 2/3 innings pitched. He does not bolster eye-popping career numbers with a career FIP of 3.60 and an ERA of 3.70, but they are very serviceable numbers. Over the last five seasons, he has compiled an ERA of 3.20 which is a bit lower than his career average. One issue which may have led to the Angels cutting ties with him is the dip in velocity. Bedrosian saw a sizeable dip in the velocity of his fastball as it declined from 95.3 miles per hour to 92.3. In 2018, the average velocity for a relief pitchers’ fastball was 93.4 miles per hour and currently increasing, which puts Bedrosian below average in velocity.

These issues with velocity and consistency provide an opportunity for the Phillies to buy low on someone who could make a decent impact. With bigger money already shelled out to Bradley, Bedrosian is someone the Phillies can likely grab for a cheap price on a one-year deal. If Bedrosian’s velocity remains around 92 miles per hour there is a chance they could even grab him on a low-risk minor league deal. Bedrosian could position himself into a seventh-inning role with the Phillies and is the exact low-risk, low-price reliever that Dave Dombroski could be looking for.

2. Keone Kela

It is hard to find another reliever on the market that has the ceiling of right-hander Keone Kela. Still just 27 years old, Kela was poised to be the Pirates closer for the 2020 season, before injury struck yet again. Over 122 1/3 innings since 2017, Kela compiled a 2.87 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and a 153:48 K: BB over that stretch. His 31.1% strikeout rate is something to get excited about as strikeout relievers are extremely valuable in today’s MLB.

With eye-popping strikeout numbers and still just age 27, you may wonder why Kela has not been signed or how the Phillies could afford him.

Injuries and off the field issues have combined to diminish the value of Kela. He still is capable enough to earn an MLB contract, but reports circulated last year of Kela causing locker room trouble in Pittsburgh. He was also ejected for his role in a pair of benches-clearing brawls in 2019 against Cincinnati. He vehemently denied causing any type of locker room trouble.

With little rumors surrounding the right-hander, there is a chance the Phillies can snag him at a good price. The Phillies are not always the best at reclamation projects, but a low-leverage role for Kela could prove effective if he can continue to utilize his powerful fastball.

At this point, the Phillies are not looking for low-risk veterans to flip at the trade deadline. They need a low-cost veteran with a high ceiling who can take on a high leverage spot down the stretch.