Phillies went 2-14 behind their backup arms in 2026
Philadelphia's starting rotation is stable for 2027, but the club must sign a pitcher who can handle both bullpen duties and emergency starts.
By Vincent Parker ·
The Philadelphia Phillies went 2-14 across the 16 games in 2026 that were not started by Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola, or Andrew Painter. This record exposed a lack of reliable depth behind the five-man rotation. While the primary starters are set for the upcoming season, the club must secure a pitcher who can cover multiple innings in relief and make starts without extended ramp-up periods.
The gap in the rotation created strain on the bullpen. In nine of those 16 games, openers such as Tim Mayza, Zach Pop, Tanner Banks, or Kyle Backhus began the contest. The pitchers who took the mound in the starting slot combined for a 7.01 ERA and a 1.85 WHIP. Alan Rangel received the first opportunity, working behind an opener before making three starts. Brian Keller made his debut as a bulk pitcher. The arrangement forced the club to rely on a bullpen that already lacked dependable arms.
Stability returned when Painter rejoined the rotation on July 31. He posted a 3.65 ERA over his final 11 starts. Nola also rebounded in the second half, improving his ERA from 5.75 to 3.34. Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations, confirmed the rotation is a strength. "I’m not sure there are too many clubs in baseball that like their starting rotation better than ours," Dombrowski said at the end-of-season press conference.
The front office distinguishes this need from acquiring a permanent starter. Dombrowski stated, "It’s not starting pitching. It’s starting-pitching depth." The club previously filled this role in 2024 with Spencer Turnbull, who signed for $2 million and posted a 1.67 ERA over six starts before returning to the bullpen. Last year, the Phillies signed Walker Buehler to a minor-league contract in September. He recorded a 0.66 ERA over 13⅔ innings. The team returned to the late-season market in 2026, signing Nestor Cortes on August 19 and claiming José Urquidy off waiver in September.
Ryan Yarbrough offers a low-cost option. The left-hander finished 2026 with a 3.69 ERA over 63⅓ innings for the Yankees. His hard-hit rate was the lowest in the majors at 25 percent. Cal Quantrill returned to form in 2026, posting a 2.86 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over 110 innings for Texas. Erick Fedde split his workload between starting and relief, throwing 141 innings for the White Sox with a 3.86 ERA in both roles.
Drew Anderson represents a more expensive possibility if Detroit declines his $10 million club option. Anderson posted a 3.67 ERA and 1.27 WHIP for the Tigers last season. He was particularly effective as a starter, recording a 2.61 ERA over 51⅔ innings. The Phillies also have other roster needs, including offensive upgrades and bullpen additions. A multi-inning pitcher would provide Don Mattingly with flexibility when the rotation is intact and a traditional starter when it is not.
The organization has no intention of rushing top prospect Gage Wood to the majors. Wood finished his first full professional season with a 4.36 ERA and 139 strikeouts over 95 innings. He has made only 26 professional starts and has never pitched at Triple-A. His strikeout and walk numbers remained strong in the second half, but his ERA rose to 5.05 over his final 12 starts. Adding a veteran would allow the club to let Wood's performance determine his arrival in the majors.
