Phillies Sign Veteran Reliever Who Was Cut by Division Rivals This Season

The Philadelphia Phillies have added a bullpen piece to the mix.

Apr 6, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Lucas Sims (39) makes a throw during the sixth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The first dominoes have fallen for the Philadelphia Phillies after Jose Alvarado's suspension was handed out on Sunday.

Jose Ruiz was activated off the injured list in place of the suspended Alvarado. Max Lazar was also recalled as the corresponding move following Mick Abel being optioned back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after his historic debut.

While that gives the Phillies a bit more depth when it comes to their bullpen, the front office will likely try to add some other arms to the equation.

Their first external one came by the way of Lucas Sims.

Per his MLB transactions page, he has signed a minor league deal with Philadelphia.

Sims inked a deal with the Washington Nationals this past offseason, but across his 18 appearances, he posted an abysmal 13.86 ERA that caused even the bullpen-needy Nationals to place him on release waivers.

While the addition of the right-hander doesn't inspire confidence based on his recent form, he's also a nine-year Major League veteran who has a career ERA of 4.86 in 243 appearances, possessing a K/9 rate of 10.3 that could become a weapon if the Phillies can hone in his command.

For the time being, he'll be in Philadelphia's minor league system with the hope that their coaching staff can help him work through whatever was plaguing him to start the season.

The Phillies will need to get creative when it comes to piecing together their bullpen for the remainder of the year.

Sims could play a factor at some point if he shows that he's made the requisite adjustments to be an MLB-level contributor.