Phillies sign Bryse Wilson, who was one of the worst pitchers in baseball last year

The Phillies have signed right handed pitcher Bryse Wilson, according to Jon Heyman. Whether it is a major league or minor league deal has not been clarified, but with multiple open 40 man roster spots, the Phillies would not need to make a corresponding move even if this lands as a big league contract.

Bryse Wilson, who turns 28 in December, is a familiar name for all the wrong reasons. He has bounced around the league for eight seasons, pitching for the Braves, Pirates, Brewers, and most recently the White Sox.

Over 163 career appearances, including 57 starts, Wilson owns a 4.82 ERA across 461 innings. He does not strike anyone out, posting a career strikeout rate of just 16.6 percent, and while he limits walks, that does not really matter when the ball is constantly put in play and hit hard.

Phillies sign RHP Bryse Wilson…

The Phillies signed RHP Bryse Wilson, per @JonHeyman.

Wilson had a 6.65 ERA and 1.817 WHIP in 20 games last season for the White Sox. He had 20 starts in 2022 with the Pirates.

Four-seam fastball hits 95 mph, uses his cutter/sinker combo 48%.
pic.twitter.com/GTSJCPNboC

— Andrew Coté (@acote_88) December 12, 2025

Last season was especially brutal. Bryse Wilson signed a one year deal with the White Sox and was objectively one of the worst pitchers in baseball.

He finished with a 6.65 ERA over 47.1 innings and was passed through waivers twice without being claimed. Even on a terrible White Sox roster, nobody wanted him. That should tell you everything you need to know.

His Triple A numbers were slightly better, but still uninspiring. In 48.2 innings, he posted a 4.25 ERA with a modest uptick in strikeouts. Nothing there screams untapped upside.

Wilson is likely being viewed as a swingman. Someone who can eat innings out of the bullpen and make a spot start if needed. The Phillies have tried this approach before with Spencer Turnbull and Joe Ross, and now Wilson appears to be the latest version of that experiment.

The current rotation includes Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Taijuan Walker. Wheeler may begin 2026 on the injured list as he recovers from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, and while Andrew Painter looms as the future, the Phillies may not want to rush him after a shaky Triple A season.

That is the only logical path where Wilson matters. Emergency depth. Nothing more.

Bryse Wilson is out of minor league options, which means he cannot be stashed easily. He throws 88 to 91 mph, tops out around 93, misses bats at one of the lowest rates in baseball, and gives up loud contact.

The exit velocity numbers are ugly. The profile is ugly. The recent performance is uglier.

This better be for essentially nothing guaranteed. Because if this is anything more than cheap depth with zero expectations, it raises serious questions about what the Phillies think they are doing with their pitching inventory.

If this is just a lottery ticket that gets torn up in March, fine, but if this is a real plan, that is a problem. Exactly the type of signing you want to love… or at least pretend to.

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