Phillies sign veteran Zach McAllister for potential rotation depth

The Phillies have signed longtime Indians pitcher Zach McAllister

One of the glaring holes in the Philadelphia Phillies roster has been their starting rotation depth. That need has only become more obvious with presumed No. 3 starter Zach Eflin‘s recent injured list stint with right knee tendinitis

While Eflin is making good progress and is traveling with the team to Arizona ahead of their series against the Diamondbacks, it appears the Phillies are not taking any chances. According to his MLB.com profile, the Phillies signed former Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Zach McAllister to a minor-league contract on August 10.

McAllister, 33, last pitched in the majors with the Detroit Tigers in 2018 — recording a 21.60 ERA and 3.000 WHIP ratio across three appearances and 3 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. Earlier that season, he made 41 appearances with the Indians, recording a 4.97 ERA and 1.368 WHIP ratio, while striking out 34 batters through 41 2/3 innings.

The Illinois native appeared in all of the seven previous seasons of his big-league career in an Indians uniform, including making 68 starts. His best season was back in 2017, when in 50 relief outings, he went 2-2 with a 2.61 ERA, 1.194 WHIP, and 66-21 strikeouts-to-walks ratio across 62 innings.

McAllister last pitched professionally with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate back in 2019.

He began the season with four dominant relief appearances, logging 11 strikeouts and two saves spanning seven scoreless innings. In nine games and 12 1/3 innings overall, however, he combined to allow 19 hits, 13 runs (11 earned), five home runs, and three walks, while striking out 19 of his 60 batters faced.

If McAllister reaches the majors at some point over the final six weeks of the 2021 season, he will come at a cheaper cost for the Phillies than the one-year, $1 million contract that 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels signed with the Dodgers earlier this month. News broke Monday night that the Dodgers were moving Hamels to the 60-day IL, ending his season – and comeback – before it could even begin. They still have to pay him, though.