Finding the Bridge to Jhoan Duran Should Be Top Priority Going Forward

What will the rest of the bullpen look like for the Philadelphia Phillies leading to Jhoan Duran

Aug 3, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) reacts after a strike out to end the ninth inning of a win against the Detroit Tigers at Citizens Bank Park. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies have been off to a nice start to August, winning four out of their first six games.

At the trade deadline, the Phillies were aggressive, as many expected them to be, and made a couple of nice additions to fix the glaring issues that this team has had since the 2024 playoffs.

Philadelphia has been led by one of the best rotations in baseball, with Zack Wheeler once again pitching like a National League Cy Young candidate. However, what has made this unit special is the depth of the rotation features.

The trio of southpaws has been fantastic with Jesus Luzardo, Christopher Sanchez, and Ranger Suarez.

Furthermore, despite Aaron Nola missing time, Taijuan Walker has filled in admirably for him this year.

While the rotation has been fantastic, it has been the bullpen that has held this team down a bit. At the trade deadline, the team was able to address it in a significant way with the addition of Jhoan Duran, but there are still some question marks looming for the team.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the best-case scenario for the Phillies down the stretch being their bullpen establishing some identity.

“On the bullpen front, Jhoan Durán has already been everything the Phillies hoped they were getting in a closer. However, David Robertson has been getting shelled in Triple-A since the Phillies signed him.”

While the addition of Duran has given Philadelphia exactly what they needs in terms of a star closer, the team will now have to try to get him the ball efficiently with a lead intact.

Who Will Bridge the Gap?

Sep 29, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher David Robertson (37) pitches during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Unfortunately, David Robertson, who was recently signed, has struggled in the minors. That could be the veteran still working out the kinks after not pitching in the Majors all year. However, considering his age, it’s slightly concerning.

Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering have both been solid overall this season and should have their roles firmly established come playoff time.

It is amazing what the addition of one single player can do for the outlook of a unit, but Duran gives Philadelphia a weapon that they haven’t had in years. Rob Thomson won’t have to worry about who should be pitching in the ninth inning come October, and he will now be able to piece together the puzzle in front of him.

With an excellent rotation and a dominant closer, games could get a lot shorter with that recipe for success. Over the next couple of weeks, establishing a pecking order in front of Durant will be important, but the unit is in much better shape than they were before the deadline.