The Phillies’ rotation has a clear split right now: three arms carrying the load, and everything else dragging behind.
Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo have given Philadelphia exactly what it wants at the top. When one of those three takes the ball, the Phillies have been in business.
But once the rotation turns past that trio, the results have been brutal. Aaron Nola’s starts have produced a 9-12 record, while the group that has filled the No. 5 role - Taijuan Walker, Andrew Painter, Alan Rangel and openers - has gone 5-20.
That’s the kind of gap that can’t be ignored, especially with the MLB trade deadline looming. The Phillies have not won a game started by anyone outside their Big 3 since June 23, a stretch that underscores just how thin things have gotten behind the top of the rotation.
One possible answer is starting to emerge at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Brian Keller has been pitching well enough to get noticed, and Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that the Phillies are actively canvassing for starting pitching help. If no move gets done before the next turn through the rotation, Keller could be the one summoned to handle the No. 5 spot Saturday.
Keller’s path has taken him through the Yankees, the Red Sox and a stint in Japan before Philadelphia signed him to a minor league deal in May. Since then, he has looked sharp in his first work on the mound since the 2023 campaign.
The recent run has been especially encouraging. Over his last four starts, Keller has been rolling, and Salisbury noted that he has allowed only two runs in his last two outings while also giving the club length, going at least six innings three times.
Brian Keller for the @IronPigs yesterday:6 IP | 4 H | 1 ER | 0 BB | 6 K pic.twitter.com/nNvXS3jgKU
Across the season, Keller has made 10 starts between Triple-A Lehigh Valley and the Florida Complex League on rehab. In 39.1 innings, he has posted a 2.06 ERA with 41 strikeouts and 12 walks.
He’s been steady at Triple-A over the course of his minor league career too, carrying a 3.41 ERA in 232 innings at that level. For a Phillies team in need of someone to stabilize the back end of the rotation, that’s at least enough to make the next decision interesting.
Giving Keller the next two starts would make sense. If he handles the job, that’s one less rotation problem for Dave Dombrowski to solve before the deadline.
In Other News...
Phillies Just Got A Troubling Pitching Update Before The Deadline
The Phillies have spent much of the summer trying to patch together a roster that has been tested by injuries on the right side of the outfield and by some uneven pitching behind the front of the rotation. With the deadline approaching, the conversation inside the organization has only sharpened around how much help the staff actually has in reserve, especially when it comes to finding reliable innings beyond the starters who are already carrying the load.
Alex McFarlane and Gage Wood are part of the systems long-term picture, but neither is viewed as a quick fix for the kind of late-game pressure the Phillies need to solve right now. Wood is still being developed as a starter, while McFarlane remains a work in progress, which leaves the front office staring at a familiar deadline question: whether the answer has to come from outside the organization rather than from a prospect breakthrough at home. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Linked To Francisco Lindor In Trade Idea Mets Fans Need To See
With the trade deadline approaching, the Phillies are still searching for ways to sharpen a roster built to win now, with pitching and bullpen help sitting near the top of the list. A recent hypothetical idea put Francisco Lindor into the conversation, which is enough to get attention around the league, but it also comes with an obvious question for Philadelphia: where exactly would he fit on a team that already has Trea Turner locked in long term?
Lindors production this season has not exactly made the case for a major reshuffle, and the Phillies have reason to be cautious about forcing a move just because a big name is available. For all the intrigue attached to a star shortstop, the cleaner path may be to use the deadline to add a more natural fit, with an outfielder on an expiring contract looking like the kind of upgrade that would make more sense for what this roster actually needs. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Linked To A Trade Idea That Would Frustrate Fans Fast
The latest trade chatter around the Phillies has a familiar kind of frustration attached to it, because it asks them to chase help at a spot that already looks occupied. Bleacher Reports Zachary D. Rymer floated a deal that would send two pitching prospects to Minnesota in exchange for a catcher, but Philadelphias current setup makes the idea feel more like a detour than a solution. J.T. Realmuto is healthy and still entrenched as the starter, while the broader roster picture points elsewhere for upgrades.
Catcher has become a depth conversation in Philadelphia more than a true need, especially with Rafael Marchan sidelined for a while and Garrett Stubbs not viewed as a reliable emergency starter. Even so, the Phillies front office has more pressing holes to address, particularly in the search for a right-handed slugger and outfield help, which is why a move like this would likely test fans patience fast. The market may exist for a catcher, but for the Phillies, the fit looks awfully hard to justify. [Read more 🡒]