Phillies Big Free Agent Signing Providing Major Boost Getting on Track

A rocky start is starting to get put behind a Philadelphia Phillies free agent signing.

May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies made a few moves this past offseason in free agency, hoping to solidify what they felt was a strong roster.

The bullpen has been a troublesome area at times in recent years, so the front office made it a point to bring in some help. Brad Keller, coming off a stellar year with the Chicago Cubs, was signed to help bridge the gap to Jhoan Duran.

A converted starting pitcher, he found a ton of success as a relief pitcher with the Cubs. He adopted a “grip it and rip it” mindset, changing his approach out of the bullpen compared to when he was in the starting rotation.

Alas, that mentality changed early on with the Phillies, for whatever reason.

Brad Keller working on mindset adjustment with Phillies

Apr 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Brad Keller (40) throws a pitch against the Chicago Cubs in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

“I feel like, at times this year, I’ve been a little bit more methodical about things,” Keller said recently, via Charlotte Varnes and Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required). “Trying to think through things when it probably is not the best way to go about it as a reliever. Maybe as a starter, that’s how you want to go about it. But when I was at my best last year, it was just like come in and just rip it. So I think that’s probably something I want to get back to.”

His performance certainly suffered because of it. The success he experienced in Chicago didn’t carry over right away to Philadelphia. When comparing his first 28 appearances in 2025 to 2026, he has surrendered four more earned runs, walked one more batter and struck out one more.

What has hurt Keller the most is home runs. He didn’t allow a long ball until July 5, his 38th appearance of the season; he has already given up four this year, with the latest coming on May 26.

There have been some bumps in the road, but the veteran righty has recently started to look more like the dominant relief pitcher he was with Chicago. His ERA is down to 3.45, the lowest it has been since March 31, when he threw a second shutout inning to begin the campaign before he allowed three earned runs on April 1.

Heckling children are out in full force in Philadelphia...

Brad Keller says even Phillies bullpen coach César Ramos had to intervene. 😂 pic.twitter.com/uFMNW9tyu0

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 8, 2026

Going back to something that more closely resembles that “grip it and rip it” mentality is what the coaching staff wanted him to do.

“When he’s moving fast and letting it rip,” Caleb Cotham said, “it usually goes more where he wants and the stuff’s better.”

Keller and the Phillies have been fortunate enough to allow him to work through these adjustments with no real drop-off. Despite some of the struggles, Philadelphia is still 20-9 in games that he has appeared in.

He has already been getting the job done more often than not this season, with his approach beginning to more closely resemble his 2025 form; his performance should only continue to improve.

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