The Phillies Bullpen is already a disaster and the front office’s gamble over the winter is already blowing up in their faces

Remember when we all spent the offseason questioning the Phillies’ bullpen and wondering what exactly Dave Dombrowski’s master plan was? Well, we’re roughly three weeks into the season, and all of those concerns are now burning brighter than a Roman candle in a gas leak.

The Phillies are 13-9, sure, but the starters and bats are dragging this team forward like they’re pulling a school bus with a jump rope. The bullpen is a bonafide mess — and the numbers paint the ugliest picture imaginable.

Phillies Bullpen Disasterclass

• 6 blown saves — worst in MLB
• 58.3% save percentage — tied for 23rd
• 47 runs allowed — 23rd
• 80 hits allowed — tied for 22nd
• 1.55 WHIP — 25th
• .290 opponent batting average — 30th
• .355 opponent on-base percentage — 25th
• .496 opponent slugging percentage — 30th
• .850 opponent OPS — 29th
• 18 inherited runners — tied for second fewest
• 33.3% inherited runner scoring percentage — tied for 14th

This isn’t a case of starters leaving messes for the bullpen to clean up. These guys are simply getting hammered all on their own. Starters are holding up their end. The relievers are handing out batting practice.

Jordan Romano: This Can’t Be Real

Dombrowski’s big bullpen addition is rocking a 15.26 ERA, opponents are hitting .382 off him, and his WHIP is basically a lifeboat count on the Titanic.

He’s not walking people, because nobody needs to — they’re just lacing the ball all over the yard. Three home runs surrendered already, and it’s not even May.

Phillies hang on for dear life after Jordan Romano meltdown, escape with 11-10 win over Marlins

Carlos Hernández: Waiver Claim Energy

Hernández has a 9.00 ERA, six walks in seven innings, and has looked overwhelmed in nearly every outing. You want a high-leverage arm? This isn’t it. The guy was cut by the Royals, and somehow still ended up in the back end of a playoff contender’s bullpen. That’s a front office failure.

The Rest: A Shrug Emoji

• Orion Kerkering: 4.50 ERA
• Joe Ross and Jose Ruiz: Warm bodies
• Strahm, Alvarado, and Tanner Banks: The only ones with a sub-3.00 ERA

Phillies blow one as Sanoja and the Marlins steal finale in extras, 7–5

And even they can’t pitch every night. Strahm’s 1.74 ERA ranks 69th among MLB relievers with 5+ innings, which tells you how bad the league-wide pen landscape has been… and also how thin the Phillies’ margin for error is.

So… What Was the Plan?

Let Jeff Hoffman walk. Bet on a bounce-back season from Romano. Hand the 7th and 8th to inconsistent arms. And hope that guys like Kerkering and Hernández magically became October-ready out of nowhere.

Bold strategy, Cotton.

For now, the Phillies’ offense is keeping them afloat. The rotation is solid. But this bullpen will not hold up for 162. Not like this.

Dombrowski better be working the phones, because if the bullpen doesn’t get reinforcements soon, every close game will be a white-knuckle nightmare. And by the time summer rolls around, it might be too late.

Fix it — now.

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