After winning the first Fall Classic in 13 years in 2022, the Philadelphia Phillies are starting their third straight World Series-or-bust season as they prepare for Grapefruit League play in the spring. In 2024, the Phillies’ erratic play in the second part of the regular season caused them to lose early in the playoffs.
Many of the Phillies’ key players, like Zack Wheeler and Kyle Schwarber, had strong seasons the previous season. Both Ranger Suárez and Alec Bohm had outstanding first halves of their seasons. Both of them qualified for their first All-Star Games, but they lost steam in the second half.
This year was a breakthrough for Christopher Sánchez. Orion Kerkering is expected to play a larger role in 2025 after continuing to adapt well to the majors throughout his first full season. Late in games, he may get more action as a closer or in a setup position. José Ruiz, who remains on the roster, gave the Phillies bullpen depth.
A few players who spent all or a portion of the season with the team just didn’t fit in. Outfielders David Dahl and Cristian Pache, as well as veteran utilityman Whit Merrifield, did not play the full season. Gregory Soto, a reliever, and Kolby Allard, a reliever and spot starter, were also unsuitable. Early in 2024, Spencer Turnbull was a reliable starter, but he missed the remainder of the season due to a lat strain that he sustained in June.
Will the Phillies miss having these other guys on their roster? Every MLB club undergoes adjustments every season, of course, and only time will tell if their 2025 decisions were the correct ones. After playing with the team a year ago, it seems the organization made wise choices regarding which guys are off the roster.
Two 2024 Phillies players that will be missed
Carlos Estévez
In an effort to strengthen their bullpen in the second half, the Phillies acquired reliever Carlos Estévez at the trade deadline last year.
José Alvarado started to have trouble in high-stress circumstances. Matt Strahm had a stellar first three months of his regular season, but a few poor performances occurred in July. Philadelphia was under pressure to improve their bullpen as a result of these problems. Estévez was acquired by the team from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for prospect pitchers George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri.
Two years earlier, Estévez recorded a career-high 31 saves in 35 attempts, tying for 11th place among relievers. With 17 saves, the right-hander was tied for 12th place prior to the 2024 All-Star break.
The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native led the Phillies with six saves in eight chances in the second half. In the second half, his 2.57 ERA was third among the club’s relievers, behind José Ruiz’s 1.99 ERA and Strahm’s 2.37 ERA.
In three postseason NLDS games against the New York Mets, Estévez ended with a 3.38 ERA. He gave up two hits, including a home run, one earned run, and one walk. Francisco Lindor’s shot was a grand slam that put the Phillies out of the game.
The Phillies decided not to bring Estévez back because it didn’t seem like they could agree on a contract this summer. He was by no means bad, even though he didn’t pitch perfectly with them. The Kansas City Royals offered the 2023 All-Star a two-year contract for $22 million with a $13 million option for a third year.
This winter, the Phillies inked one-year contracts with reliever/spot starter Joe Ross and free agency reliever Jordan Romano. The club will lament not having Estévez’s closing experience to fall back on if Romano doesn’t work out.
Hoffman, Jeff
The two years Jeff Hoffman spent with the Phillies were good. In the 2023 regular season, he pitched in 54 games with a 2.41 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. In eight postseason games, the righthander finished with a 2.57 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP, which is a respectable performance.
Last year, he remained dependable for Philadelphia. Hoffman made the most appearances of any reliever on the team during the regular season, with 68. He was second among bullpen relievers with 10 saves and 13 chances. Like the Phillies bullpen as a whole, the Latham, New York, native had his share of problems during the NLDS. In 1 1/3 innings, he gave up three hits, two walks, and six earned runs.
During his two years in Philadelphia, Hoffman specifically assisted Kerkering, a rookie teammate, in acclimating to the major leagues. After the 32-year-old signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on January 10, Kerkering contacted Hoffman, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
“Just be yourself. Kerkering said Hoffman sent the message, “And just go have fun.”
According to Kerkering, “He always told us, he changes everything he does,” “He doesn’t always follow the same schedule. He dislikes baseball superstitions, regardless of whether he wears his left shoe that day before his right. We are all here for a reason, so just keep running with it and just be yourself because you are the reason.
Hoffman didn’t seem like a probable contender to return to Philadelphia given their large payroll. In particular, if he performs well with the Blue Jays and the Phillies relievers regress in 2025, he will be missed.
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