Phillies Bullpen
- José Alvarado
- Jeff Hoffman
- Gregory Soto
- Seranthony Domínguez
- Matt Strahm
- Yunior Marte
- Spencer Turnbull
- Connor Brogdon
Alvarado, Hoffman, Soto, Domínguez, Stahm, and Kerkering have their bullpen spots locked in. The last two spots are in limbo, but now a third spot is up for grabs. Unfortunately, Orion Kerkering fell ill during spring training, which has delayed his preparation for the start of the season. The Phillies do not expect him to be ready for Opening Day.
Who will replace Kerkering? It's a tough decision, as the Phillies have a lot of options. Yunior Marte made the Opening Day roster last year, and it's plausible that he will again. He has had a good spring, with six strikeouts and only two hits in six innings.
As for the seventh bullpen spot, Dylan Covey was a favorite to make it, but a shoulder injury will force him to start the season on the IL. It's a good thing the Phillies picked up free agent Spencer Turnbull with a one-year deal. Turnbull has over five years of MLB experience, and in his first spring game with the Phils, he showed off with four strikeouts and two perfect innings. He has continued to pitch well, and we expect him to have a comeback year as an important part of Philadelphia's bullpen.
We project Connor Brogdon to land the last remaining bullpen spot due to the club's familiarity with him and his success with the Phillies in past years, especially in the 2022 postseason. Brogdon has had a rocky spring, walking more batters than he's struck out. However, he's been improving and according to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Corey Seidman, knows the pressure is on. Experience, improvements, and the right mentality might just land Brogdon the final bullpen spot.