While we wait for Major League Baseball's offseason to really get going, there are plenty of names to look at to see if they'd be fits with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2025. It's well known that Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is being open-minded this winter and that the bullpen is a big area of focus for the front office.
Top free agent reliever names like Tanner Scott and Clay Holmes have already been thrown about as possible options for the Phillies to sign to multi-year contracts. With Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez testing the open market, grabbing one of those big-name closers is an advisable move for the Phillies.
Phillies predicted as landing spot for pair of intriguing free agent relief arms
But the Phillies aren't going to sign two top closers — at least, it would be shocking if they did — so they'll need to fill the other bullpen hole with another high-leverage arm. Two intriguing names have been predicted to be future Phillies by MLB Trade Rumors, so let's dive in and see how they'd fit.
Ranked No. 34 on MLB Trade Rumors' Top 50 free agents list, A.J. Minter is predicted to sign a two-year, $16 million contract this offseason. The 31-year-old left-hander has spent his entire eight-year career with the NL East rival Atlanta Braves up to this point. He has had a solid run in the Braves bullpen, posting a 2.85 ERA with 16 saves and 92 holds since the shortened 2020 season.
Minter battled hip injuries in 2024 and eventually had surgery in August. While that creates some questions about his readiness for 2025, MLB Trade Rumors posits that: "there’s nothing to suggest his injury will linger into next season. At the time of his surgery, it was still up in the air as to whether it was season-ending or not, which perhaps indicates he could be healed up early in the offseason."
Minter only threw 34 1/3 innings this past season but posted a 2.62 ERA and 1.02 WHIP before being shut down. As a southpaw, he would line up as the fourth lefty in the Phillies bullpen alongside Matt Strahm, José Alvarado and Tanner Banks.
Kirby Yates is coming off a sparkling season with the Rangers
No. 38 on the list is right-hander Kirby Yates, who MLB Trade Rumors predicts will sign a one-year, $14 million deal. We at That Ball's Outta Here have been hoping for a Phillies-Yates union since last offseason.
Despite the 2023 World Series champion Texas Rangers missing the postseason this year, it wasn't because of Yates, who earned his second-career All-Star nod. The 37-year-old had a phenomenal campaign, posting a 1.17 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with 85 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings. He held opposing hitters to a .111 batting average.
Without Hoffman and Estévez, the Phillies bullpen could use an injection of quality right-handers. Youngster Orion Kerkering and 2024 surprise standout José Ruiz are the only two righties likely guaranteed a spot in 2025. Tyler Phillips and unproven newcomer John McMillon are currently projected to be the other relief right-handers, at least by FanGraphs' RosterResource.
Those won't be the names the Phillies take into the season when Opening Day rolls around next year, but it shows you how thin their right-handed reliever depth is. Adding a Yates would go a long way to helping the 2025 bullpen.