How does Jose Alvarado’s suspension impact the Phillies?

Photo Credit: Grace Del Pizzo/Phillies Nation

Many fans in Philadelphia and around the league were surprised Sunday morning when Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado was suspended 80 games for violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy.

The fan favorite had been enjoying success on the field and creating magical moments off the field. Alvarado was recently spotlighted for his interaction with a young Phillies fan in late April. Princeton Bailey, a 12-year-old boy from Delaware, was captured on the NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast imitating Alvarado’s pitching motion during every at-bat of an intense outing against the Washington Nationals. Alvarado invited Bailey and his family to a game a few days later, where the two met, creating a special moment for Bailey, who is on the autism spectrum. A few weeks later, Alvarado was seen with a special message to his mom on his hat for Mother’s Day during a Sunday Night Baseball broadcast on ESPN.

The news of the 29-year-old’s suspension is a far cry from the positive publicity he has received during his time in Philadelphia.

“The Phillies fully support Major League Baseball’s Joint Prevention and Treatment Program and are disappointed to hear today’s news of Jose’s violation,” the Phillies said in a statement.

Alvarado tested positive for exogenous testosterone, a performance-enhancing substance banned by MLB. The Phillies said a weight-loss drug led to his suspension. The Venezuelan lost 10 to 15 pounds while taking the drug during the offseason.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski met with the media yesterday following the news of Alvarado’s suspension and mentioned that the 29-year-old has always been self-conscious of his weight and has been working hard at staying in shape.

“It’s not something he did knowingly,” Dombrowski said. “I believe that, the way he talked to me. Ultimately, it’s a situation where, if that happens, you’re still responsible for it.”

Because the suspension occurred during the season, Alvarado will be ineligible for the postseason if the Phillies were to advance. Alvarado decided not to appeal the ruling, accepting his punishment of an 80-game suspension without pay. Alvarado has stepped away from the team for now, but can be reinstated from the restricted list on August 19.

Alvarado has been the Phillies’ best reliever this season. The hard-throwing left-hander is 4-1 with a 2.70 earned run average and seven saves. In parts of five seasons with the Phillies, Alvarado has a 3.37 ERA and 37 saves.

After their bullpen posted middle-of-the-pack numbers last year, this season has been much worse for the Phillies. The bullpen’s ERA of 4.57 is the eighth-worst in all of baseball and fourth-worst in the National League. After not re-signing high-leverage relief pitchers Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman this past offseason, Dombrowski chose to give bigger roles to younger players like Orion Kerkering and sign guys to prove-it deals like Jordan Romano. So far, that has not worked out for the Phillies, who had been relying on their strong starting pitching and Alvarado to keep things together.

“We’ve got to move on,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson. “It’s too bad, but we’ve got to move on. We have really good pieces here that can pick up the slack.”

How do the Phillies move on?

First, they can look at internal options. Outside of Alvarado, the team’s top three bullpen arms are having inconsistent seasons. Lefty Matt Strahm has a 2.89 ERA, but has had a few slip-ups. Kerkering, who had an exceptional season last year, has a 4.08 ERA in an elevated role. Romano, who was signed to a one-year prove-it deal following significant injury issues in 2024 with the Toronto Blue Jays, has a 7.27 ERA with the Phillies. However, Romano hasn’t allowed an earned run in a month, picking up four saves during that time.

The Phillies are thin at the relief pitcher position in the minor leagues, especially left-handed pitchers. They are, however, very deep at the starting pitcher position. Taijuan Walker has already moved to the bullpen after a strong start to the season, but will be reinstated into the starting rotation with Aaron Nola on the injured list. Mick Abel made his MLB debut on Sunday, a historic outing that showed why he was a first-round pick in 2020. Andrew Painter, the No. 5 prospect in all of baseball, is on the verge of getting the call to the big leagues. Ranger Suarez has bullpen experience and is a left-handed pitcher. Could the Phillies pick one or more of these starters to fill the void in the pen?

The more likely answer is that they explore external options to improve the bullpen. The feeling has always been that Dombrowski would make a move for one or two high-leverage relievers before the trade deadline this season, with reports surfacing that he already started that process before Alvarado’s suspension. Now, with the disappointing news surrounding Alvarado and his ineligibility for the playoffs, there is more pressure on the team’s president of baseball operations to make the right moves.

The likes of St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley and Athletics closer Mason Miller have been involved in trade rumors since last season. Baltimore Orioles closer Felix Bautista has been a popular name on the market this year, with the Orioles struggling mightily to start the season and desperately needing starting pitching help. The Phillies would likely have to part with one or two top prospects to acquire any of these three closers, with Miller and Bautista being the most valuable options because of long-term team control.

The Phillies have been clear that they are not willing to trade Painter, Aidan Miller, and Justin Crawford. After Abel’s outstanding MLB debut, he could be off-limits or the top prospect included in trade talks, depending on how the Phillies’ front office views his long-term future with the team. There aren’t many tradeable players on the major league roster, but Suarez could be the odd man out because he is an impending free agent, and the organization has a plethora of starting pitchers. Center fielders Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas could entice teams, but the Phillies lack outfield depth and have been playing both players with regularity.

What is tricky for the Phillies is that now other teams know they are desperate, they will be asking for more value, and won’t budge on what they want in return. Dombrowski had his work cut out for him before the Alvarado suspension, but now there is even more pressure to improve his team as they look to capitalize on their World Series window.