The Phillies are bringing back a familiar face, signing veteran left-hander Tim Mayza to a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp this spring. It’s a low-risk move with potential upside - the kind of depth signing that could quietly pay off if things break right.
Mayza, now 34, wrapped up the 2025 season in Philadelphia after coming over in a midseason trade from the Pirates. He didn’t log a ton of innings - just 16 1/3 across 15 appearances - but he held his own, posting a 3.78 ERA while shaking off rust from a lat strain that sidelined him for most of the year.
If you zoom out a bit, Mayza’s body of work since 2021 tells a more complete story. Over the past four seasons, he’s pitched to a 3.49 ERA across 214 1/3 innings, with a solid 22.2% strikeout rate, a stingy 6.7% walk rate, and a ground-ball rate north of 55%. That’s the kind of profile that keeps you in the conversation for a bullpen role - especially when you’re a lefty who can keep the ball on the ground.
Of course, the recent injury history and inconsistency can’t be ignored. Mayza’s 2024 campaign was a rough one, split between Toronto and New York, where he was tagged for a 6.33 ERA over 42 2/3 innings.
But just a year before that, in 2023, he was lights out for the Blue Jays - 53 1/3 innings of 1.52 ERA ball, with a 24.7% strikeout rate and a massive 58.2% ground-ball rate. That version of Mayza was a weapon.
So what’s left in the tank? The stuff still plays.
Mayza leans heavily on a sinker that sits in the 93-94 mph range (93.6 mph last season), throwing it more than two-thirds of the time. It’s a true worm-killer.
He pairs it with a slider in the mid-to-upper 80s - not a wipeout pitch, but enough to keep hitters honest. His career splits tell the story of a classic lefty specialist: righties have hit him well (.281/.350/.474), but lefties have struggled mightily, managing just a .214/.266/.304 line against him.
That kind of left-on-left dominance could be valuable for a Phillies bullpen that already features two solid southpaws in Jose Alvarado and Tanner Banks. Alvarado is a late-inning force when healthy, and Banks has proven he can handle a variety of roles. But beyond that duo, the bullpen picture is still coming into focus.
The right-handed side of the bullpen looks strong, with Jhoan Duran, Brad Keller, and Orion Kerkering all expected to contribute. But the final spots are up for grabs, and that’s where Mayza enters the mix.
Rule 5 pick Zach McCambley and veteran Zach Pop, who’s on a split deal, are in the conversation, but neither has a guaranteed spot. If Mayza shows up to camp healthy and looking anything like his 2023 self, he could force his way into the picture.
At this stage in his career, Mayza isn’t being asked to carry a bullpen. But as a situational lefty with experience and a track record of success against same-handed hitters, he could be a sneaky asset - especially in a bullpen that’s shaping up to be one of the better units in the National League.
If he clicks, it’s a win. If not, it’s a low-cost flyer.
For the Phillies, it’s a smart roll of the dice.