The Philadelphia Phillies may have painfully missed out on adding star shortstop Bo Bichette last week, but Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski acted fast by pivoting quickly to at least re-sign star catcher J.T. Realmuto to a three-year, $45 million deal.
Despite having the key core players back for the 2026 MLB season, the Phillies’ job is not done just yet. We know that they won't be pursuing marquee, big-name free agents. Still, Dombrowski needs to recruit some valuable depth to support the roster.
In particular, with Ranger Suárez officially gone after signing with the Boston Red Sox in free agency and Matt Strahm being traded to the Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia should look to add some insurance pieces to their pitching staff to ensure that they have all areas covered entering the season. What better way to do so than to call upon players who were Phillies in the past to help out in a second go-around?
Let's take a look at three former Philadelphia pitchers that Dombrowski could add as insurance for their roster.
3 former Phillies pitchers Dave Dombrowski needs to add as insurance
Kolby Allard, LHP
Kolby Allard may not have had a lasting impression during his time with the Phillies in 2024. But Allard has come a long way after developing into an effective reliever during his tenure with the Cleveland Guardians in 2025.
In 33 games with the Guardians last season, the 28-year-old posted a 2-2 record with a solid 2.63 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 65 innings that also included two starts. More importantly, Allard limited opponents to just five home runs over that stretch while posting career bests in walk rate (5.3 percent) and average exit velocity (87.2 mph).
With Strahm out of the picture, the former first-round pick from the 2015 MLB Draft could provide some solid relief depth from the left side for the Phillies. In addition, with the ability to pitch as a starter as well, he could also become a valuable swingman. With Zack Wheeler recovering from his thoracic outlet syndrome surgery and top prospect Andrew Painter looking to find his footing in the majors, Allard would be an ideal insurance plan.
Lou Trivino, RHP
Lou Trivino had a short stint with the Phillies toward the end of the 2025 season after he was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers at the end of July. Signed to a minor league deal by Philadelphia in early August, Trivino had his contract selected and was called up to the big league club ahead of the final month of the season.
The 34-year-old veteran was actually quite effective for the Phillies in a small sample down the stretch. He compiled a tidy 2.00 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, giving up just two earned runs on six hits with five walks and eight strikeouts in nine innings of work over 10 relief appearances.
Surprisingly, despite those numbers, Trivino failed to make the Phillies' postseason roster. Nevertheless, Philadelphia can look to a similar type of deal with the 34-year-old right-hander again this upcoming season to add valuable veteran bullpen depth.
Given that Trivino had previously shown to be a productive, reliable reliever during his time with the Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees, he could potentially be a low-risk, high-reward move for the Phillies if he somehow rediscovers his dominant form.
Seranthony Domínguez, RHP
Finally, we have one of the Phillies' former bullpen stalwarts in Seranthony Domínguez. After struggling toward the end of his previous tenure with Philadelphia, Domínguez recaptured his fine form this past season with the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays.
In 2025, the 31-year-old reliever amassed a 3.16 ERA and 1.28 WHIP, with a whopping 79 strikeouts over 67 relief appearances. More importantly, he put some of his home run issues behind him by allowing just five in total over 62 2/3 innings.
With Phillies relievers ranking third last in the league in strikeouts in 2025, Domínguez could significantly help the club improve in that department heading into 2026. In addition, he has shown to be a proven winner, as he has made the postseason with every team that he has been on since 2022, including the Phillies. Domínguez played a key role in helping the Blue Jays to the World Series. As a result, it is time to bring some of those successful winning vibes back to Philadelphia where it all began.