Heading into the MLB trade deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies had a few needs they were looking to address.
Arguably, the biggest need was some help in the bullpen. The Phillies have an elite closer in Jhoan Duran , but getting the ball to him has been a struggle at times. In the postseason, bullpen performance has been a major hindrance to the team's success.
Looking to change their fortunes with the relief staff, the team added two hurlers : right-handed pitcher Caleb Kilian , along with second baseman Luis Arraez , from the San Francisco Giants and left-handed pitcher Brooks Raley from the New York Mets .
Kilian landed on the injured list after being called upon four times in six days. Raley was expected to bolster the team's southpaw options, who have struggled all season, but he has not helped the cause.
Aug 25, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Brooks Raley (30) pitches to the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With the Mets, Raley was dominant, pitching to a 1.96 ERA across 45 appearances and 41.1 innings. He surrendered only two home runs and produced an impressive 1.5 bWAR. Unfortunately, he hasn't come close to replicating that production.
In his first 13 appearances with Philadelphia , Raley blew three saves; with New York, he only had one. He surrendered three home runs as well, pitching to an underwhelming 4.66 ERA. Disappointingly, those numbers are only getting worse after the veteran lefty was called upon in Game 2 against the Atlanta Braves .
In what turned into a bullpen game because Jesus Luzardo was scratched with stiffness in his left shoulder, Tim Mayza started and held his own, throwing three shutout innings. Raley was called upon after that and struggled, taking his second loss with the Phillies.
He recorded only two outs, serving up his fourth home run as a member of the team, which was one of two hits he gave up. Raley also issued a walk, resulting in three earned runs being charged to him, with two strikeouts.
Aug 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Brooks Raley (30) reacts to a victory against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
This is certainly not what the Phillies were expecting when acquiring the veteran lefty from New York. Raley was expected to provide the team with a sizable boost, giving consistent performance from the left side, but that has not been the case.
The bullpen is a massive issue for interim manager Don Mattingly heading down the stretch of the regular season, and could ultimately cost the team the No. 1 Wild Card spot in the National League.
There are real concerns about what the left-handed pecking order will be since Raley has struggled so much and Jose Alvarado has not proven to be a consistent, reliable option all season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/phillies/onsi as Phillies Deadline Addition Falling Woefully Short of Expectations .
