The Phillies' bullpen, a middle-of-the-road unit in 2025, is now facing the question of what's next. With most of their key arms set to return for the 2026 season, but some with uncertain fates, the team must weigh its options.
On one hand, there are those who are clear-cut keepers. Jhoan Duran, the ace closer, will be back in 2028 under contract, as will Orion Kerkering and Tanner Banks, who have proven themselves valuable late-innings arms. Matt Strahm, another lefty reliever, has an option exercised for 2026.
However, there are also those whose futures are less certain. José Alvarado, who had a promising start to the season but was marred by a steroid suspension that cost him 80 games, will have a $9 million team option with a $500,000 buyout. His return would be a significant one, as he offers heat on the left side of the bullpen. But his past transgressions make it difficult to justify giving him another chance.
David Robertson, who returned to the Phillies mid-season, may not be back for 2026. The 41-year-old veteran has seen better days, and paying him a significant salary with young pitchers like Strahm and Banks waiting in the wings would be hard to justify.
On the other hand, some arms have fallen out of favor altogether. Seth Johnson, who has no minor league options remaining, will likely face the axe if he's not on the roster by spring training. Tim Mayza was nothing special in his eight appearances with the Phillies, and Jordan Romano and Joe Ross are all but done.
The team is also expected to re-sign Daniel Robert, Michael Mercado, and Nolan Hoffman, who all pitched in the majors last season. These arms offer no guarantee of performance, but they do have minor league options that can be used if needed.
Ultimately, the Phillies' bullpen will need to get creative in the offseason to build a team that can compete with its starting pitching. While Duran, Kerkering, and Banks are clear-cut keepers, Alvarado's future is uncertain, and Robertson may not be back for 2026. The team's young arms offer hope for the future, but it's time to put their past performances behind them and look towards a brighter horizon.
On one hand, there are those who are clear-cut keepers. Jhoan Duran, the ace closer, will be back in 2028 under contract, as will Orion Kerkering and Tanner Banks, who have proven themselves valuable late-innings arms. Matt Strahm, another lefty reliever, has an option exercised for 2026.
However, there are also those whose futures are less certain. José Alvarado, who had a promising start to the season but was marred by a steroid suspension that cost him 80 games, will have a $9 million team option with a $500,000 buyout. His return would be a significant one, as he offers heat on the left side of the bullpen. But his past transgressions make it difficult to justify giving him another chance.
David Robertson, who returned to the Phillies mid-season, may not be back for 2026. The 41-year-old veteran has seen better days, and paying him a significant salary with young pitchers like Strahm and Banks waiting in the wings would be hard to justify.
On the other hand, some arms have fallen out of favor altogether. Seth Johnson, who has no minor league options remaining, will likely face the axe if he's not on the roster by spring training. Tim Mayza was nothing special in his eight appearances with the Phillies, and Jordan Romano and Joe Ross are all but done.
The team is also expected to re-sign Daniel Robert, Michael Mercado, and Nolan Hoffman, who all pitched in the majors last season. These arms offer no guarantee of performance, but they do have minor league options that can be used if needed.
Ultimately, the Phillies' bullpen will need to get creative in the offseason to build a team that can compete with its starting pitching. While Duran, Kerkering, and Banks are clear-cut keepers, Alvarado's future is uncertain, and Robertson may not be back for 2026. The team's young arms offer hope for the future, but it's time to put their past performances behind them and look towards a brighter horizon.
. On one hand, you got your core guys like Duran, Kerkering, and Banks who are gonna be rockstars in 2026. But on the other hand, you got guys like Alvarado and Robertson who have been given chances before and didn't quite pan out.
. You can't just keep paying people who aren't performing, it's like throwing good money after bad. And let's be real, the young arms are the future, but they need to prove themselves first.
. But at the same time, you don't wanna be stuck with guys who are just holding up space on the roster.
. They can't afford to sleepwalk through the playoffs like they did last year. It's time to shake things up and build a team that can compete with the best of 'em 
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. I mean, who wouldn't want to give José Alvarado another chance? He was a fire-breathing lefty on the mound, and that steroid suspension was just a minor setback... 80 games? That's like getting hit by a bus and still showing up to work with a band-aid 
. On the other hand, David Robertson is just being old-school and clinging to the glory days... 41? 
You can't put a price on experience, but you also can't ignore a tanking bullpen.
. They're going to need some solid veterans to anchor the pen, but it's hard to justify paying someone like Robertson when they've got these up-and-comers waiting in the wings 
. I mean, no minor league options? That's like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole... it's just not gonna work 
. At this point, he's either on the roster or off the roster - no in-betweens 
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. They've got some talented arms, and with a little creativity, they might just become the real MVP of the National League 
. And what's with the risk of giving José Alvarado another chance? 80 games for a steroid suspension is a pretty big red flag 
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. I mean, David Robertson is only 41, but he's not bringing what they need from a closer anymore. And with all these young arms on the team like Strahm and Banks, they can be the future of this bullpen. But Alvarado's history is a tough one to look past 
. And I love that they're re-signing some of these arms with minor league options, it shows they're thinking about rebuilding for the long haul 
. But yeah, it's time to move on from some of these guys who are just not what they used to be 
.
The team needs to weigh the risks and rewards when it comes to his contract. Maybe they should consider locking up some of the younger guys like Strahm or Banks instead? 
And David's getting up there in years, it's not like he's still that good anymore... 
Still, you gotta have some faith in the young guys, Strahm and Banks are fire 
- you never know what's gonna happen next! On one hand, they've got some solid keepers like Duran, Kerkering, and Banks who are gonna be back in 2028 
, so it's hard to give them another shot.
. Re-signing guys like Robert and Mercado is a good start, but they need to think outside the box and make some bold moves if they wanna compete with the starting pitching