One of the key areas the Philadelphia Phillies need to focus on during the offseason is, without a doubt, their bullpen. Losing Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez, of course, doesn’t help matters.
Phillies sign lotto ticket reliever
While the Phillies make some moves to aid their relief corps, they have signed a lotto ticket with some relevant and recent MLB experience in left-hander Nick Vespi.
“Phillies signed lefty reliever Nick Vespi to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. Vespi, 29, had a 3.88 ERA in 53 1/3 innings over the last three seasons with Baltimore. He’s potential bullpen depth,” The Athletic’s Matt Gelb posted on X.
Vespi represents insurance for the Phillies
Vespi made his MLB debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2022 and has spent some time with them in each of the last three campaigns. As his 2.79 BB/9 suggests, control and command are things he masters when on the mound. Missing bats can be an issue, though, or at least it has been at the MLB level.
His 7.76 K/9 in the majors is a bit disappointing considering he, for example, struck out 10.84 per nine frames in 42.1 Triple-A innings in Baltimore this past season. The Phillies hope he can earn a spot with his performance and replicate some of the strikeout prowess he showed in the minor leagues.
The Phillies, however, will surely bring in more established names for their relief corps. Re-signing Hoffman and Estevez are options that remain in play, and they are scanning the free agent and trade markets, too.
Having competitive, talented relievers like Vespi on risk-free deals vying for a roster spot is never a bad thing. At worst, the Phillies can easily cut bait and give him a chance to find another team, but in a best-case scenario, he could stick around as depth and contribute to a really good team.