José Alvarado
José Alvarado looks like a trusted option in the Phillies' bullpen through the first two weeks of the regular season. The left-hander resembles a reliable reliever Thomson can turn to again following an inconsistent second half last year, when he posted a 4.37 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 22 2/3 innings.
With Jordan Romano's struggles early this year, Thomson has one less reliever who looks dependable in the late innings. However, Alvarado has filled the void. Heading into Friday's action, He leads Phillies relievers with two saves and 12 strikeouts. His 44.4 percent strikeout rate is ninth-highest in the majors among qualified relief pitchers, while his 37.0 percent strikeout minus walk rate is the 10th-best mark.
José Alvarado closes it out for the @Phillies and is PUMPED 🫡 pic.twitter.com/Fwi2whjHiU
— MLB (@MLB) April 10, 2025
Alvarado is tied for second in appearances among Philadelphia relievers with six. His 1.42 ERA trails only Matt Strahm for the team lead. The Phillies' bullpen will rely upon the native of Maracaibo, Venezuela throughout the regular season. The club will have strength in this position group if he can be a reliable late-inning option for Thomson in 2025.
Edmundo Sosa
Edmundo Sosa has been a surprise for Philadelphia during the season's first two weeks. The 29-year-old has been reliable as a backup utility player since the club acquired him at the 2022 trade deadline and has performed well early on in 2025.
Sosa got off to a solid start in spring training. The 29-year-old finished with a .292/.333/.500 line and an OPS of .833 in 18 games. His 11 RBIs were the most of his career during the spring.
He has continued his excellent offensive start through the beginning of the regular season. Ahead of the Phillies' April 11 game versus the St. Louis Cardinals, he's slashing .458/.480/.625 with six RBIs in 25 regular-season plate appearances. Even though his total at-bats are less than half of a starter, his 1.105 OPS trails only Kyle Schwarber for the best on the roster.
The Panama City, Panama native has multiple hits in five of his eight outings in 2025. It has been difficult for Thomson not to play him in every game because of his offensive success and defensive versatility.
Due to his impressive offensive start (subscription required), per The Philadelphia Inquirer's Scott Lauber, Thomson may feature Sosa in the outfield more besides playing him in the infield. Philadelphia's skipper placed him in left field at the beginning of the April 8 game versus Atlanta. This was the utility player's first outfield start of his career. He made an impressive catch early on, robbing Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna of a home run.
LEFT FIELDER EDMUNDO SOSA pic.twitter.com/kAU8Ft6Cv1
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 8, 2025
Sosa will receive more playing time if there is an injury to one of the Phillies' starting positional players. However, due to the struggles of a couple of their starters, Thomson should consider playing him more often, at least for part of a game.
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