Have the Phillies found the final piece to their pitching puzzle for 2025?
Apparently the Philadelphia Phillies weren’t done in terms of pitching upgrades for the 2025 season. Following their recent massive trade for promising starter Jesús Luzardo, the Phillies have added another intriguing piece to their pitching staff.
On Monday, Philadelphia reached an agreement with veteran right-handed pitcher and former World Series champion Joe Ross on a one-year deal worth $4 million according to a league source, as reported by Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer. To make room for Ross on their 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher José Cuas was designated for assignment.
The Phillies have agreed to terms on a contract for the 2025 season with RHP Joe Ross. To make room for Ross on the 40-man roster, RHP José Cuas has been designated for assignment.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) December 23, 2024
Phillies sign former World Series champion to potentially finalize 2025 bullpen
Ross is coming off a solid 2024 season with the Milwaukee Brewers in which he posted a 3-6 record with a 3.77 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 66 strikeouts in 74 innings pitched over 25 games, which included 10 starts. More importantly, he performed exceptionally well in the role as a reliever, compiling an impressive 1.67 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, giving up just five earned runs with 11 walks and 27 strikeouts in 27 innings of work over 15 relief appearances. That was likely what caught the eye of the Phillies’ brass as they looked to put the finishing touches to their bullpen for 2025. In particular, with the Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski indicating that they are happy with where they are with their bullpen now, according to Devan Kaney of SportsRadio 94WIP, Ross appears destined for the bullpen with potentially no further reliever adds this offseason.