At a Glance
- Philadelphia signed seven pitchers and four position players to minor-league deals this winter.
- Trevor Richards, Bryse Wilson and Jonathan Hernández each own recent big-league success despite 2025 struggles.
- Outfielder Bryan De La Cruz won Dominican Winter League MVP after 30 extra-base hits at Triple-A.
- Why it matters: Low-cost flyers could replicate Jeff Hoffman’s 2.28-ERA impact from a 2023 minors pact.
The Phillies fortified their roster with headline retention of Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto, then quietly added a dozen players on minor-league contracts to deepen spring-training competition. News Of Philadelphia‘s review of the signings shows several candidates who, like 2023 relief steal Jeff Hoffman, might carve out major roles after modest pedigrees.
Pitching Reclamation Projects
Trevor Richards, RHP
Richards profiles as the closest Hoffman parallel. Since becoming a full-time reliever in 2021 he has fanned 10.99 batters per nine innings, 19th among pitchers with 230-plus appearances. Opponents have managed only a .214/.304/.379 slash-nearly identical to Hoffman’s .213/.302/.381 over the same span.
The 32-year-old leans on a swing-and-miss changeup paired with a low-90s fastball. A 2025 deviation from that recipe produced 35 earned runs in 57.2 innings across three organizations. Philadelphia hopes a return to his established mix revives the swing-and-miss asset.
Bryse Wilson, RHP
Wilson logged a 6.65 ERA in 47 1⁄3 innings for the 2025 White Sox but owns a recent track record of success. In 2023 he posted a 2.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 76 2⁄3 relief innings for Milwaukee, holding hitters to .165 against his cutter and .106 against his four-seam fastball. Once a Top-100 prospect, the 27-year-old offers swingman upside if the pitch mix reverts to that effective pattern.
Jonathan Hernández, RHP
Hernández stormed through his first three seasons with Texas, compiling a 3.29 ERA in 65 games after returning from 2021 Tommy John surgery. Velocity remains his calling card-he sat 98 mph in 2022, placing in the 97th percentile league-wide.
Big-league results slipped to a 5.40 ERA the past two years, yet a 2025 rebound at Triple-A Durham produced a 2.25 ERA. If the fastball-slider tandem regains consistency, the 28-year-old could elbow into a crowded bullpen picture.
Génesis Cabrera, LHP
Cabrera has pitched for six organizations the last three seasons, hindered by 4.4 walks per nine for his career. His most efficient stretch came after a 2023 trade to Toronto, where he recorded a 2.66 ERA across 23.2 innings by throwing his fastball and cutter each more than 32 percent of the time. The Phillies may re-emphasize that pairing as they search for second left-handed relief behind Jose Alvarado.
Other arms added: RHP Michael Mercado (re-signed), RHP Colin Peluse, RHP MT Morrissey, RHP Lenny Torres Jr., RHP Kyle Brnovich, LHP Adam Seminaris, LHP Tucker Davidson.
Bench Depth with Pop
Bryan De La Cruz, OF
De La Cruz owns a familiar résumé: 431 games with Miami produced a .258/.305/.419 slash and prorated averages of 21 homers and 72 RBIs per 162 contests. A turbulent 2025 saw brief stops in Pittsburgh and Atlanta before a .796 OPS and 30 extra-base hits in 91 Triple-A games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
He closed the campaign by winning Dominican Winter League MVP honors, batting .301 with eight homers and an .888 OPS. The right-handed stick gives manager Rob Thomson a power option off the bench or injury cover in the corners.
René Pinto, C
Once the top catching prospect in Tampa Bay’s system, Pinto has shown pull-side pop when given opportunities. Across his last 57 major-league games he slugged eight home runs with a .448 slugging percentage, pairing above-average barrel, hard-hit and exit-velocity metrics. His 1.87-second pop time rated in the 95th percentile three seasons ago.
Minor-league production supports the power: four of the past five years he has posted an OPS of .825 or higher. Behind a durable Realmuto, Pinto offers depth and right-handed thump should the need arise.
Other position-player invites: SS Liover Peguero, C Mark Kolozsvary, SS Christian Cairo.
Key Takeaways
- Philadelphia’s bullpen competition now includes four relievers with recent ERAs under 3.30 in prior seasons.
- Richards and Wilson each own the swing-and-miss profiles the club successfully unlocked with Hoffman.
- De La Cruz supplies proven corner-outfield power and momentum after a winter-league MVP run.
- Every newcomer received only a minors deal, preserving 40-man flexibility while maintaining high-upside depth.
Spring training in Clearwater will determine whether any of these flyers becomes the next success story unearthed by the Phillies’ player-development staff.
