Phillies revamped bullpen takes step forward, but is it remotely enough?

The Philadelphia Phillies are working on building up their bullpen, but the question remains whether or not it will be enough for the 2022 season. 

The Phillies have been busy in the second half of the MLB offseason, with reports that the Philadelphia team is interested in courting none other than Nick Castellanos to bolster their roster.

The Phillies are also looking to strengthen their bullpen, and if they land lefty pitcher Brad Hand, the Phillies bullpen will consist of seven pitchers. This includes former Dodger Corey Knebel and Jeurys Familia, who was most recently with the Mets.

With Knebel signed on Dec. 1 and Familia signed on March 13, the Phillies are clearly making an aggressive play to improve their bullpen. Whether or not it will be enough for 2022 remains to be seen.

Will recent free agent signings be enough for Phillies bullpen?

Knebel, Familia, and now Hand would signify a significant pitching upgrade compared to the 2021 season. FanSided’s Phillies site, That Ball’s Outta Here, gave the Phillies bullpen a C grade overall.

Describing the bullpen as “unimpressive” last season, the unit finished 25th in ERA, 24th in WHIP, and tied at 21st for saves.

“The Phillies bullpen looked better than it did in 2020 but was still a far cry from being one of the better units in the majors and its lack of depth was apparent,” said TBOH’s Bryce Turner. “There were impressive stretches for some of the Phillies’ go-to relievers, but the bullpen was still disappointing as a whole.”

However, Connor Brogdon received one of the best bullpen grades with a B+ as a promising rookie, performing well in most games and remaining one of the better options in the bullpen. Truthfully, even with the offseason acquisitions, the Phillies have a ways to go to building one of the strongest bullpens in the league.