Every MLB club adds several players over the offseason, and those moves aren’t always headline-grabbers.
Despite securing their second consecutive division crown, the Phillies still have areas to improve. Their roster is solid overall — particularly the starting rotation — but the bullpen could benefit from extra depth.
Minor-league contracts aren’t always the most reliable way to bolster relief pitching, yet they can occasionally produce real value. On Wednesday, the Phillies made a noteworthy under-the-radar addition, signing a pitcher who has spent six and a half years in the minors and has yet to appear in a major league game.
Per MLB’s official transaction log, the Phillies added former Athletics ninth-round selection Colin Peluse on a minor-league contract Wednesday. It’s uncertain whether the agreement includes an invite to big-league spring training.
Peluse, 27, has taken an uneven route through Oakland’s minor-league system. He reached Triple-A in 2023 and stayed there for the full season, but midway through last year he was sent back to Double-A, where he remained for the entirety of this season.
Still, his performance at that level may have been compelling enough for the Phillies to take a chance on him.
Across 47 relief outings in Double-A, Peluse posted a 2.64 ERA over 58 innings. He also recorded the highest ground-ball rate of his career and surrendered just three home runs. And while Triple-A rosters often feature older players with big-league time, Double-A competition can be nearly as tough, as many top prospects spend significant time there.
It’s not as though the Phillies expect Peluse to replace free agent Ranger Suárez; in fact, there’s no guarantee he ever makes his major league debut. But he seems to have figured some things out in the last couple of years, and if the A’s weren’t going to give him any opportunities, he rightly thought it wise to pursue those opportunities elsewhere.
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