With their bullpen concerningly unpredictable, the Philadelphia Phillies made a series of moves on Sunday. They sent Taijuan Walker back to the bullpen in favor of fan-favorite prospect Mick Abel. In an earlier move, they designated reliever José Ruiz for assignment and promoted another young prospect in Seth Johnson to eat some bullpen innings.
The Phillies have World Series aspirations and some definite weaknesses to address, so there's no room for dead weight on the roster. Just like with Ruiz, whose ERA jumped to 8.16 after his rough five-run inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in Saturday's 17-7 loss, the Phillies have a handful of other players who are in danger of being optioned or DFA'd.
These Phillies could be the next on the chopping block following José Ruiz
Weston Wilson, INF/OF
Wilson has an easy-to-root for backstory, as the Brewers' 17th-round draft pick in 2016 made his big league debut with the Phillies in 2023 after six seasons in the minors. Wilson has experienced some memorable moments in his brief Phillies career, from homering in his first MLB at-bat to hitting for the cycle last August. It's a Phillies career that may be short-lived, however, based on his performance this season.
Wilson has gotten 28 at-bats in 2025, with a .179 average and .589 OPS. He seemed to be a lock for a bench spot for the Phillies coming out of spring training, until he strained his oblique while practicing. This was due to his 1.025 OPS versus left-handed pitching in 2024, which is down to .533 in 2025. Since returning from the IL in late April, Wilson has platooned with Max Kepler in left field, where he misplayed a ball on Sunday resulting in a crucial double in the Phillies' 5-2 loss to the Brewers.
Wilson won't have to be designated for assignment, since he has a minor league option remaining, but he hasn't done enough to warrant a bench spot so far. He might find himself working on his craft in Triple-A before too long.
Joe Ross, RHP
Although Ross has had a few stretches this season in which he has been a competent reliever, his 2025 has been less than impressive as a whole. Signed to a one-year, $4 million deal last offseason to serve as a late-to-middle inning reliever, Ross has recorded a 4.50 ERA and 1.32 WHIP over 28 innings. However, Ross has been unable to limit hard contact over those 28 innings.
The eight-year MLB veteran has allowed more hits than innings pitched, with 30. He's allowed five home runs among those 30 hits, and thus cannot be trusted with a slim lead. The problem with the Phillies' bullpen, though, is that the lack of depth has thrown Ross into high-leverage situations which have largely not worked out for the team.
Carlos Hernández, RHP
This one is an obvious pick, and it's honestly a bit shocking that Ruiz was the first struggling reliever to get the DFA boot from the Phillies. Fans of the team cringe every time Hernández is called upon by manager Rob Thomson to take the ball, as he's wildly inefficient with command more times than not. It's a good thing that Hernández usually enters in blowouts, as he's allowed 15 earned runs over 22 innings.
SECOND BOMB OF THE NIGHT FOR @ChristianYelich https://t.co/iZWbdoUqT0 pic.twitter.com/l6X8hfEfjh
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) May 31, 2025
Somebody with those terrible numbers has no business pitching for a World Series hopeful like the Phillies, even with their thin bullpen. It's looking more evident than ever that Hernández is overmatched at the MLB level and that their weak bullpen depth is the reason that Hernández is still a Phillie into June. If Walker and Johnson throw well enough and the Phillies trade for bullpen help as expected, Hernández should be gone by August, if not sooner.