José Alvarado will see less playing time
Following the departure of closer Craig Kimbrel in the offseason, José Alvarado was expected to seamlessly take over the closer’s role this year for Philadelphia. After all, he had been one of the Phillies’ most reliable relievers the previous couple of seasons and has had some success in a fill-in role as the closer before.
However, things have certainly not gone to plan for the struggling Alvarado, as his ERA has now ballooned to over 4.00 for the first time since his first year with the Phillies in 2021. For 2024, he has compiled a 1-5 record while going 13-for-16 in save opportunities, along with a 4.36 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 45 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings pitched in 47 appearances.
With the key addition of Carlos Estévez to help anchor the back end of the bullpen, it should help alleviate some of the pressure off of Alvarado’s shoulders. Estévez will likely get the majority of the opportunities to close out games in the coming months.
The Phillies can comfortably move Alvarado back into more situational and setup roles which has been his forte in recent years. In addition, by giving him enough rest days in between appearances, we should soon see the Alvarado that we are accustomed to back in due time.