The Philadelphia Phillies were dealt a damaging blow with Jose Alvarado being suspended 80 games for PEDs. Alvarado had been the team’s best and most consistent reliever this season, so losing him for more than two months of the regular season, and for the postseason as well, is a huge deal. The Phillies made a move on Tuesday to try and soften the blow, as they signed Lucas Sims to a Minor League deal, but in reality his addition won’t ease concerns the fan base has.

This is as desperate a move as the Phils could have made right now. Sims was once a solid reliever with the Cincinnati Reds, but he had allowed 19 runs in just 12.1 innings of work with the Washington Nationals this season before getting DFA’d and subsequently released 10 days ago. Things were so bad for Sims that he had issued more walks (14) than innings pitched, and he had also hit a Major League-leading seven batters. For reference, only one other pitcher has hit more than five batters with a pitch this season.

While expecting much more would’ve been foolish, the Sims pickup isn’t going to put this fan base at ease.

Phillies Sign Lucas Sims To Minor League Deal https://t.co/eJZMezmXqE pic.twitter.com/bIhoBzWNds

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) May 20, 2025

Lucas Sims signing leaves a lot to be desired

A trade for an All-Star closer in mid-May isn’t realistic, so it’s understandable to see the Phillies dip into free agency to try and improve the ‘pen. Perhaps a change of scenery can allow Sims to revert to his old form, but even if he does, he wasn’t even the best free agent available. That’s where the real issue lies. David Robertson is right there!

The fact that Robertson remains a free agent is really tough to comprehend. He might be 40 years old, but he’s still an extremely reliable late-game arm. Last season, he posted a 3.00 ERA in 68 appearances and 72 innings of work for the Texas Rangers, racking up 34 holds while working as their primary set-up man.

The fact that he’s still available suggests that he’s asking for more money than teams think he’s worth, but the Phillies should be desperate enough to get him to sign the dotted line, especially since they’ve reportedly reached out to him. Not only is Robertson a proven late-game arm, but he’s particularly effective against left-handed hitters. He held lefties to a .145 average and a .467 OPS last season, which is just phenomenal, especially for a right-handed reliever.

Maybe Robertson is targeted later on, but that’s the kind of move that needs to be made for Phillies fans to forget about Alvarado’s suspension. This bullpen was already an arm or two short with Alvarado available, and Sims won’t improve much based on how he looked in Washington. Hopefully, others currently on the roster can pick up the slack before an impactful move is made.