The Philadelphia Phillies are rolling lately, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll continue to. The same team that suffered through a 10-game losing streak is now on a heater, largely due to Kyle Schwarber’s heroics and a starting rotation that has been vastly improved recently. Unfortunately, that pitching staff looks like a house of cards, and one of the fallback options was just dealt a big blow when Jean Cabrera was demoted.
The Phillies’ current rotation is quite top-heavy, with co-aces Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler being close to automatic wins, while Jesús Luzardo has continued his Jekyll and Hyde act and Andrew Painter and Aaron Nola have struggled mightily. The team’s recent hot streak has demonstrated how far that group can take them if everything is going right, but the inverse is true if things start to go downhill.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had a terrible offseason, completely failing to improve a team that has disappointed in four straight postseasons. While the failed Bo Bichette pursuit got most of the headlines, equally disappointing was Dombrowski’s complete inability to acquire depth for a roster increasing in age and injuries.
That lack of depth was apparent from day one, as Zack Wheeler’s recovery from surgery led to $72 million piñata Taijuan Walker starting the season getting regular turns through the rotation. That went just as poorly as everyone predicted, with Walker being released less than a month into the season. Wheeler taking his place has been a massive upgrade, but what happens if someone else gets injured?
The Phillies have no upper-level starting pitching depth to speak of, with unimpressive journeymen Alan Rangel, Bryse Wilson, Connor Gillispie and Tucker Davidson teaming up with batting practice arm Chuck King to form the current Triple-A rotation. Yikes.
The few intriguing starting pitching prospects the Phillies do possess are either far away from the majors, or not performing. Unfortunately, right-hander Jean Cabrera falls into the latter camp.
The Phillies have one less starting pitching option for the time being as Jean Cabrera struggles
Cabrera was an unheralded international free agent signing out of Venezuela back in 2019, garnering just a $10,000 bonus. The lanky 24-year-old put himself on the map with an excellent 1.54 ERA in his first taste of pro ball, and has steadily climbed the minor league ladder over the past half decade.
Cabrera began the 2026 campaign in Triple-A with the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs, and seemed set to be one of the first arms called upon if a need emerged for the major league club. Unfortunately, Cabrera has pitched his way out of that conversation for the time being by posting a ghastly 9.32 ERA across his first seven starts.
Over 28 total innings, he’s issued an appalling 20 walks, and punched out only 21 batters. Things got so bad for Cabrera that the Phillies demoted him to Double-A Reading, and promoted Pottstown native and former Cincinnati Red Levi Stoudt in his place.
Phillies made some minor-league roster shuffles, including demoting SP Jean Cabrera from AAA to AA. Levi Stoudt, 28-year-old righty reliever who had not allowed an earned run at AA goes to AAA Lehigh Valley. He pitched at Lehigh U.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) May 12, 2026
There’s still hope for Jean Cabrera. He’s currently ranked 13th among all Phillies prospects according to MLB.com, and has plenty of time to figure out some mechanical adjustments. When he’s on, he’s a dependable hurler who can throw the kitchen sink at somebody and commands his pitches well.
There’s no mistaking Jean Cabrera for an elite pitching prospect, but solid backend arms are still a valuable commodity in today’s game. This recent bump in the road may have pushed back his ability to make an impact for the Phillies, but it certainly has not killed it completely.
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