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Phillies Named Best Fit for $20 Million Free-Agent Reliever
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- Phillies Named Best Fit for $20 Million Free-Agent Reliever
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The Philadelphia Phillies had the worst bullpen ERA of any team in the playoffs during 2026.
Outside of closer Jhoan Duran, the Phillies had no consistent help after their reliable starting pitchers. That could soon change this offseason if president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, so desires.
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The Athletic's Jim Bowden put together a list of the top 40 free agents in this upcoming class. A name that may have slipped through the cracks is that of the No. 39 player on this list, Jonathan Loáisiga.
Bowden named Philadelphia as one of the best fits for the longtime Yankees reliever.
Why Would the Philadelphia Phillies Want Loáisiga?
The New York Yankees signed Loáisiga from Nicaragua as an international free agent. He made his debut in 2018 with New York and played eight seasons for them. Across those eight seasons (193 games), Loáisiga recorded a 3.54 ERA, although injuries altered his trajectory.
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In 2026, Loáisiga signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks , acting as one of their high-leverage relievers. In 67 games, Loásiga recorded a 2.42 ERA. Now, entering his age-32 season, he will re-enter free agency looking to capitalize on his worth.
According to Bowden, the contract prediction for Loáisiga is a two-year, $20 million deal, which the Phillies can obviously afford.
While Loáisiga's ERA was amazing, his advanced stats were even better. According to Baseball Savant, Loáisiga was in the 85th percentile or better in the following stats: pitching run value, fastball run value, xERA, fastball velocity, average exit velocity, chase rate, walk rate, barrel rate, hard-hit rate and ground ball rate.
He didn't strike out many batters, but he made up for it by inducing weak contact and keeping the ball on the ground. While his breaking pitches were average to below-average, teams should be confident in Loáisiga's ability to get hitters out at an elite level, especially the Philadelphia Phillies.
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What About the Team Fit?
As aforementioned, the Phillies desperately need back-end help other than Duran. While Duran had a 1.82 ERA in 61 games with 33 saves, no other pitcher was reliable enough to count on.
With José Alvarado, Tim Mayza, Brooks Raley, Nestor Cortes, Lou Trivino, José Urquidy and others reaching free agency or arbitration, there's going to be a lot of turnover in the Phillies bullpen.
Alex McFarlane, Jonathan Bowlan, Chase Shugart, Tanner Banks and Duran will likely be the sole survivors of a complete purge.
With Brad Keller likely out the entire 2027 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, the Phillies need an impact arm.
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While it may be a little more than fans would expect for Loáisiga, $20 million is a small price to pay to get the team's bullpen into shape.
Dombrowski has a lot of work cut out for him this offseason. From fixing the infield situation to maintaining the bullpen, it will be a busy offseason for Philadelphia.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Phillies Named Best Fit for $20 Million Free-Agent Reliever appeared first on HEAVY .
