The Philadelphia Phillies entered the offseason with two of the top relievers set to hit the market coming from their roster.
It was going to be difficult to bring even one of Carlos Estevez or Jeff Hoffman back, but the Phillies wound up losing both of their free agents from a unit which had a solid year, but didn’t hold up their end of the bargain in the playoffs.
Signing Jordan Romano from the Toronto Blue Jays – ironically where Hoffman ended up – presumably gives Philadelphia a new closer, but a steady stable of setup guys is often the difference in how playoff games can be won and lost. And with the Phillies trying to get over that postseason hump and bring a World Series banner back to the City of Brotherly Love, adding another reliever certainly wouldn’t hurt.
One name who has suddenly emerged as an option comes from the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers after their spending spree this winter.
As if the Dodgers weren’t good enough already, they went and added two of the best relief pitchers in baseball with Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates coming into the fold.
As a result of their offseason moves, there was going to be a good player who became the odd man out, and in this case, it’s veteran right-hander Ryan Brasier.
Los Angeles designated Brasier for assignment this week after the Yates signing became official, and while they still could trade him in the next day or two, the 37-year-old will become a free agent if he isn’t claimed off waivers.
Brasier has never exactly blown batters away, but there is a lot to like.
For one, he’s now a two-time World Series champion and has pitched on baseball’s biggest stages, throwing one of the best seasons of his career for the Boston Red Sox in their 2018 title campaign.
In 29 appearances this past season for the Dodgers, Brasier posted a 3.54 ERA with an impressive 0.964 WHIP.
For his playoff career, Brasier has a modest 4.13 ERA, but he gave up just one earned run in nine appearances for the Red Sox in 2018, and more recently, just one hit and one run in two appearances in the World Series for Los Angeles.
Having someone in the bullpen who knows what it’s like to pitch under pressure in October is an advantage that can’t be quantified. It’s one that causes teams to get eliminated from the playoffs if they don’t have it.
Brasier wouldn’t come to the Phillies and suddenly be an All-Star for the first time in his career, but the team doesn’t need him to be that.
Philadelphia would simply need him to be the same steady and reliable reliever he’s been and be ready to be called upon when the time comes.