As the Philadelphia Phillies look ahead to 2026, the bullpen continues to stand out as both a concern and an opportunity to get better.
Despite flashes of reliability, the relief corps struggled to consistently be great, and moving on from Matt Strahm, even with the addition of Brad Keller, it isn’t like the Phillies are great in the bullpen.
However, there are names out there, and the Phillies are being linked to them.
FanSided’s Edward Eng recently urged the organization to consider a reunion with former reliever Seranthony Dominguez.
“Finally, we have one of the Phillies' former bullpen stalwarts in Seranthony Domínguez. After struggling toward the end of his previous tenure with Philadelphia, Domínguez recaptured his fine form this past season with the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays...
“With Phillies relievers ranking third last in the league in strikeouts in 2025, Domínguez could significantly help the club improve in that department heading into 2026. In addition, he has shown to be a proven winner, as he has made the postseason with every team that he has been on since 2022, including the Phillies. Domínguez played a key role in helping the Blue Jays to the World Series. As a result, it is time to bring some of those successful winning vibes back to Philadelphia where it all began,” he wrote.
Dominguez, when at his best, offers exactly what the Phillies and other teams want as contenders, as he has velocity, swing-and-miss ability, and the confidence to attack hitters in leverage situations.
More importantly, Philadelphia doesn’t need him to be its closer, as it needs him to shorten games, give innings, strand runners, and change momentum with a few pitches.
I also like how Eng mentioned how Dominguez has been part of winning environments consistently since 2022, including deep postseason runs. That experience carries weight in a clubhouse still looking to win a World Series.
Considering where we are in the offseason, there are far worse options out there to consider. Is he great? No, but he doesn’t hurt a team, and there’s some upside there if his stuff plays at the level it can.