There's no such thing as too much pitching depth when it comes to an MLB roster. The way of life in baseball is that pitchers get injured at a higher frequency than any other position in the sport, so implementing a "next man up" strategy is always a wise idea.
The Philadelphia Phillies have prioritized their pitching depth by bringing along swingman pitchers like Joe Ross and Spencer Turnbull in recent seasons. In a currently quiet offseason amidst the J.T. Realmuto free agency stalemate, the Phillies have addressed their pitching depth with the signing of former Atlanta Braves southpaw Tucker Davidson.
Phillies sign lefty Tucker Davidson who spent (most of) 2025 in Korea
It wasn't the offseason acquisition that Phillies fans were waiting for, but it was announced by The Athletic's Will Sammon that the team had reached an agreement on a minor-league contract with 30-year-old left-hander Tucker Davidson.
Left-hander Tucker Davidson and the Phillies are in agreement on a minors deal, league sources said. While pitching in the KBO last season, Davidson had a 3.65 ERA (22 starts, 123 1/3 innings).
— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) January 6, 2026
After a very brief one-game MLB stint with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024, Davidson signed overseas with the KBO's Lotte Giants and pitched well enough in 2025 to earn another MLB contract, although it's a minor-league deal. That's understandable, as he's performed better in the minors, where his groundball rate has looked appealing.
Davidson made 22 starts with a 3.65 ERA for Lotte but was replaced on the roster by former Phillies pitcher Vince Velasquez. He returned to North America where he caught on with the Milwaukee Brewers on a minor league deal to finish out the 2025 season.
The name might not ring a bell to Phillies fans, as Davidson last pitched in the majors in that one game with Baltimore two years ago. He debuted for the in-division Atlanta Braves in 2020 and was on their World Series-winning team in 2021, posting a 3.60 ERA in 20 regular season innings. Although he struggled with two earned runs and three walks over one inning in his lone appearance in the Fall Classic.
Davidson has a decent amount of MLB experience under his belt, having appeared in 56 games across five seasons from 2020 to 2024. Those seasons resulted in uninspiring numbers, with the majority of those appearances coming with the Los Angeles Angels, where he posted a 6.72 ERA over 68 1/3 innings across two seasons.
Davidson figures to spend the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley waiting on a phone call to the majors if the team needs a healthy arm. Innings-eating left-handed pitchers are sought after in this league, and this signing is another classic example of a team taking a cheap flier on a southpaw who could pitch out of the bullpen.
This move is similar to the one the Phillies made a few offseasons ago with another former Braves lefty Kolby Allard. Though it sometimes looked like he was throwing batting practice as a Phillie, Allard found MLB success for the Cleveland Guardians in 2025, with Davidson hoping he can do the same this season.