Let’s keep some perspective about the Phillies’ former reliever and the guys who replaced him
There’s been far more hand wringing about the Phillies than you would think an 10-8 start would merit. Obviously, the team has some flaws that you’d like to see straightened out but based on some of the reactions on social media, you’d think that the Phillies were off to a 5-13 start like the Braves.
One of the main focus areas of fan discontent has been the bullpen. After the relief pitching collectively melted down in the 2024 NLDS, and the inconsistent start by some key relievers to start 2025, there appears to be a belief that the bullpen is a fatal flaw that will ultimately ruin this team’s chances.
There has been a lot of angst regarding the decision to allow Jeff Hoffman to leave as a free agent while signing Jordan Romano in his place. Hoffman has largely been excellent in Toronto, while Romano has struggled with his velocity and due to that, effectiveness. (Although it should be noted that Romano has now put together three straight scoreless appearances.)
Maybe the Phillies should have re-signed Jeff Hoffman instead of gambling on washed up Jordan Romano. I’d be shocked if he’s on a MLB roster in June
— CoastalPreps – Tim Hower (@CoastalPreps) April 6, 2025
It’s a little amusing that the two biggest complaints regarding the team seem to be: “We’re just running back the same team, why would we expect different results?” and “Why did we let Hoffman leave?” People apparently wanted changes, but those changes shouldn’t include Hoffman, who was perhaps the biggest culprit in the Phillies loss to the Mets last year.
There are a few truths we have to deal with right now:
- The Phillies’ starting pitchers have pitched well, but not especially deep into games.
- Just about every game has been close headed into the late innings, meaning there have been a lot of high leverage relief innings.
- Jeff Hoffman’s medical examination scared off multiple teams.
Romano was certainly cheaper than Hoffman, but perhaps more importantly, he is on a one-year deal, as opposed to the three-year deal that Hoffman signed with the Blue Jays. Three years is a long contract for a relief pitcher who is completely healthy, let alone one with some medical red flags. It seems prudent to reserve judgement until later than one month in.
Relief pitching is notoriously volatile. It’s entirely possible that by mid season, Romano and company will have hit their stride, and Hoffman will have encountered an inevitable rough spell (or maybe those medical issues will have caught up with him). At that point, we might consider the Phillies’ offseason maneuvers in a whole different light, at least when it comes to the bullpen.