5 Relievers Philadelphia Phillies Should Pursue This Winter
October 24, 2013 by Alec Snyder
Filed under Fan News
Man, does the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen need help.
Over the last two seasons, the Phillies have seen their once-stellar relief corps turn into a nightmare of a situation. As older veterans like Ryan Madson and Brett Myers left the team, the Phillies relied internally on replacements. While that strategy worked in the past, it has predominantly failed since.
In 2013, the Phillies’ bullpen ERA was 4.23. That figure was good for second-worst in the National League only to the Colorado Rockies, and fourth-worst in all of baseball. That’s not exactly the kind of news you like to hear, but is it really news anymore?
That’s where things have to change this offseason, and Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. will have his hands full in determining who to sign to fill that role. Mike Adams was supposed to be that guy almost a year ago, but as his performance rapidly declined, so did the health of his shoulder.
The Phillies bullpen needs someone, almost anyone…good, that is. Here are five relievers the Phillies should pursue this year on the open market.
*All player statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and/or FanGraphs.com.