The Phillies have started addressing one of the quieter problems on their roster: pitching depth.
Philadelphia’s rotation looks strong on paper with Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo leading the way, while Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter both showed in the second half of the season that they can handle backend roles with upside. But once you get past that group, the options thin out quickly. The bullpen has a similar issue, lacking the kind of experienced arms a team can lean on over the grind of a full season.
That’s why the club’s first move in this area matters. According to the Minor League Baseball Transaction Tracker, the Phillies have signed right-handed pitcher Geoff Hartlieb to a minor league contract.
Hartlieb brings seven years of MLB experience and spent last season with the Athletics. In 18 appearances, he threw 28 innings and posted a 4.82 ERA with 22 strikeouts. The control was shaky - he walked 14 batters - but he limited the damage in one important way, allowing only one home run.
There’s also the matter of where those numbers came from. Athletics pitchers have had to work in Sutter Health Park, a minor league field in the desert that plays like a hitter-friendly launching pad, so those results deserve a little extra context. Even with that challenge, Hartlieb finished the 2026 season with a 0.2 bWAR.
The Phillies appear to be looking for exactly this kind of arm: a pitcher with some versatility and enough experience to cover multiple innings when needed. Hartlieb had some part-time starting work in college and made eight starts in the minors, which fits the swingman profile Philadelphia has been chasing.
Over his major league career, Hartlieb has made 86 appearances and logged 110.2 innings. He’s also bounced around quite a bit, spending time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, Miami Marlins, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers before joining the Athletics in 2026.
It’s a sensible first step for a team that needs more proven depth on the mound. But it likely won’t be the last. The Phillies still have more work to do in the weeks ahead.
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