The Philadelphia Phillies have brought in more bullpen help via the free agency market.
Entering the MLB offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies were expected to be active. After coming up short in the postseason once again last year, there were some clear areas of need to address.
First and foremost, keeping star slugger Kyle Schwarber was an obvious priority. The Phillies were able to do just that by agreeing to terms on a lucrative five-year, $150 million deal with him.
Another area of need was to improve the bullpen.
On Wednesday, Philadelphia was able to make an intriguing move to bolster the bullpen.
According to a report from The Athletic, the Phillies have agreed to terms with former Chicago Cubs relief pitcher and closer Brad Keller on a two-year, $22 million contract. Keller will instantly become a key part of the bullpen for Philadelphia.
Keller's deal is reportedly pending a physical.
During the 2025 MLB season with the Cubs, Keller was a crucial piece of the bullpen. He ended up appearing in 68 games for Chicago, compiling a 4-2 record to go along with a 2.07 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, a 3.4 K/BB ratio, 69.2 innings pitched, three saves, 25 holds, and three blown saves.
In the playoffs, Keller appeared in five games and had a 1.59 ERA, a 0.71 WHIP, two saves, and a hold in 5.2 innings of work.
While Keller isn't going to be the piece that powers the Phillies to a World Series win, he's an excellent pickup to improve the bullpen. He has a very good chance to become one of the most relied upon relievers for Rob Thomson and company.
At 30 years old, being able to land a consistent bullpen arm for $11 million per year could end up being a steal. He's capable of being a reliever or a closer.
Philadelphia still could look to put in more work this offseason. Keller is a great step in the right direction, but the Phillies are always looking to be aggressive when an opportunity to improve presents itself.
Hopefully, Keller is able to continue performing at the same level that he showed last season with the Cubs. If he does, Philadelphia improved quite a bit today.