Bryce Harper couldn’t stay silent and addressed the tough news of teammate José Alvarado’s 80-game suspension, which leaves the team without one of its key arms on the mound. In his comments, the Phillies’ No. 3 didn’t offer many details about the situation behind the scenes.
“It’s a tough situation… I don’t know much about it…” Harper said. The suspension appears to have caught the Phillies by surprise, but Harper made it clear it’s a major loss. “It’s one of our top arms down there,” he added, though he emphasized the team will keep moving forward. Those were his comments to Tim Kelly of On Pattison regarding Alvarado’s situation.
It’s worth recalling that prior to his suspension, Alvarado held a solid 4-1 record through 20 appearances, posting a 2.70 ERA over 20 innings pitched. However, Harper directly addressed the situation, indicating the suspension was due to an error on the part of the Venezuelan pitcher, stating in his message, “something he wasn’t supposed to do and got suspended.”
Who Might Fill Alvarado’s Spot in the Bullpen?
While no official replacement has been named, and as manager Rob Thomson emphasized the team’s need to move forward, analysis has centered on potential trade targets. RJ Anderson of CBS Sports compiled a list of candidates, including Ryan Helsley.
- Ryan Helsley (Cardinals)
- Pete Fairbanks (Rays)
- Kenley Jansen (Angels)
- Reid Detmers (Angels)
- Kyle Finnegan (Nationals)
- Seranthony Domínguez (Orioles)
- Jake Bird (Rockies)
- David Bednar (Pirates)
- Mason Miller (Athletics)
These options are on the table for the Phillies, who had been performing well in the bullpen after a challenging start to the current MLB season. Without Alvarado, however, things could become significantly more difficult.
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Thomson and Dombrowski Address Alvarado Situation
Bryce Harper wasn’t the only one to break the silence on Alvarado’s suspension. Manager Rob Thomson stated plainly, “We’ve got to move on,” stressing that the bullpen and the entire team must continue forward. He added, “We have really good pieces here that can pick up the slack.”
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Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski also addressed the issue, saying Sunday morning at Citizens Bank Park, “It’s disappointing for sure. There’s no question about that. We’ve had other issues come up at various times. I end up treating it like an injury because you need to replace somebody for 80 games and then hopefully into the postseason.”
