Phillies Sign Former Braves, Reds Reliever as Bullpen Search Intensifies
With top lefty José Alvarado sidelined by an 80-game PED suspension, the Philadelphia Phillies have begun scrambling for bullpen reinforcements. Just two days after news of Alvarado’s suspension broke, the team made its first move.
Philadelphia signed right-handed reliever Lucas Sims to a minor league deal, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required). While fans are hoping for a splashier addition ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, depth moves like this are more realistic for now, per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki.
Sims, 31, was a first-round pick by the Braves in 2012 and once topped Atlanta’s prospect rankings. He later found some success with the Reds, including a strong 2023 season where he posted a 3.10 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 61 innings across 67 appearances.
However, his 2024 campaign with the Nationals was disastrous. After signing a $3 million deal in February, Sims struggled to a 13.86 ERA and 2.27 WHIP in just over 12 innings before being released on May 10.
Over his MLB career, Sims has a 4.86 ERA with 366 strikeouts in 318 1/3 innings. While he boasts a solid 26.5% strikeout rate, control has been an issue — evidenced by a 12.5% walk rate.
Sims is now headed to the Phillies’ pitching lab in Florida, where the coaching staff, including former Reds colleague Caleb Cotham, will try to refine his game. His arsenal includes a 95 mph four-seam fastball, an 85 mph sweeper, and occasional use of a curveball, sinker, cutter, and slider.
Whether Sims can turn things around remains uncertain, but it’s clear Phillies president Dave Dombrowski and GM Preston Mattingly are just getting started in their quest for bullpen help.
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