The Philadelphia Phillies’ low-key offseason has unsurprisingly backfired. While it was always unlikely that Juan Soto would land in Philly, there were still realistic opportunities to make big improvements—like pursuing Alex Bregman. Yet, despite having a solid foundation, the team passed on bold moves.
Instead, GM Dave Dombrowski prioritized saving money. He handed $10 million to Max Kepler, a player with replacement-level production, which didn’t do much to move the needle. His budget-friendly trade for Jesús Luzardo has actually worked out well—one of the few bright spots of the season so far.
But Dombrowski’s biggest misstep came in handling the bullpen. Although the Phillies’ relief corps was among the league’s best in 2024, it still showed cracks in the playoffs. Rather than strengthening it, Dombrowski let key relievers Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez leave, opting instead to sign Jordan Romano to a one-year, $9 million deal. Romano had been a two-time All-Star, but his rough, injury-affected 2024 campaign—where his ERA climbed to 6.59—should’ve been a red flag.
So far in 2025, Romano has been a complete letdown, and the move looks even worse when you consider Hoffman is now thriving with Romano’s former team, the Blue Jays.
Jeff Hoffman’s Blue Jays success puts Phillies bullpen blame squarely on Dave Dombrowski
The Phillies had every chance to bring back Jeff Hoffman this past offseason, as Matt Gelb of The Athletic points out. Despite contract agreements falling through with both Atlanta ($48 million over three years) and Baltimore ($40 million over three years) due to concerns about Hoffman’s physical, Philadelphia never seriously re-engaged. Instead, Hoffman ended up signing with Toronto on a discount. The Phillies, focused on short-term deals for relievers, opted for Jordan Romano instead—without ever circling back to Hoffman.
Gelb notes that while the Phillies stayed in touch with Hoffman’s camp, it’s unclear if they ever extended a formal offer—even early on. Once Romano was signed on December 9, the team reportedly cut off all communication.
Had Romano performed well, this decision might not be under such scrutiny. But the 32-year-old has struggled badly—failing to generate swings and misses, unable to keep the ball down, and consistently blowing leads.
Philadelphia’s bullpen currently owns the second-worst ERA in baseball (5.70) and leads MLB in blown saves (seven). Romano has played a significant role in that collapse, with a 13.50 ERA and two blown saves in just 9.1 innings across 11 appearances. His most recent meltdown came against the Mets on Wednesday, when he allowed the walk-off hit in the 10th to complete New York’s sweep.
Romano hasn’t just failed to meet expectations—he’s been among the worst relievers in the league. And while manager Rob Thomson is being criticized for continuing to use him in high-leverage spots, that’s the role Romano was signed for. With limited bullpen depth due to Dombrowski’s offseason decisions, Thomson has little choice but to keep giving Romano opportunities in hopes he rebounds.
If the Phillies want to contend, they’ll need to be aggressive on the trade market to reinforce their pitching staff. While Andrew Painter could pitch out of the bullpen later this year, the team views him as a future starter. Taijuan Walker could provide bullpen help once he returns, but that’s hardly a long-term fix.
Now, it’s on Dombrowski to clean up the mess.
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