What José Alvarado's return means for rest of Phillies' bullpen pecking order

Following the announcement that the Philadelphia Phillies agreed to exercise José Alvarado's $9 million club option for 2026, what does his return mean for the bullpen? The reliever missed a significant portion of last season with an 80-game PED suspension that included the playoffs and also due to time on the IL in September after suffering a left forearm strain.

Alvarado will arrive at spring training in February, aiming to get the new season off to a positive start and officially put his 2025 nightmare of a year behind him. The Phillies are counting on him to have a vital role in their bullpen once again in 2026 (subscription required).

José Alvarado will continue to have a key role for the Phillies in 2026

The Phillies felt Alvarado's absence this season, including in the NLDS versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's one of their relievers who has had a key role as a high-leverage pitcher in the Phillies' bullpen over the last several seasons.

Alvarado will return to that role next year and could be a candidate for an eighth-inning setup role ahead of closer Jhoan Duran. However, considering Phillies manager Rob Thomson's penchant for having multiple relievers sharing the setup and closer roles and making questionable bullpen decisions during his tenure, who knows?

Thomson will also consider using Orion Kerkering and the other left-handers in the Phillies' bullpen, Matt Strahm and Tanner Banks, late in games. Depending on a game situation and the opposing batting order, the manager may prefer to use Alvarado and Duran in the late innings before the ninth inning, depending on the situation.

Thomson may use them to keep the score in a contest tied or maintain the Phillies' one-run lead if the opposition has multiple runners on base with one or two outs. Perhaps he'll want to use Duran in the eighth inning and Alvarado in the ninth sometimes.

Alvarado and Duran are the first two relievers that come to mind when thinking about the Phillies' best options to use in the eighth and ninth innings. After Duran's addition at last year's trade deadline, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski referenced that Thomson now has a reliever who is a "legitimate closer."

However, people shouldn't assume what the manager's plan will be over the course of a long six-month regular season, in addition to the playoffs, even if both relievers are available and healthy.

As long as Alvarado is available and pitching well, he should have an important role in the Phillies' bullpen in the seventh inning or later during the majority of Phillies contests in 2026. He can be an effective reliever for the organization when his game is on and opposing batters can't hit his high-velocity pitches.