April 23, 2026
Denis Poroy/Imagn Images
Nick Castellanos has not been lighting it up with his new team.
It's hard to imagine things being worse for the 8-16 Phillies.
They can't pitch. They can't hit. They've been outscored by 50 runs this season, the highest margin by far of any team in the majors. And they seem old and boring to watch.
The front office made a bevy of decisions to (mostly) run it back for 2026, but they did move on from several players who have found new homes this year. Would any of them have been smart to hang on to?
Here's a quick check-in with some recent former Phillies and how they're performing at their new jobs:
Ranger Suárez, Red Sox
Compared to many of the Phillies' current starting pitchers, Suárez has been pitching like an ace. But Suárez is probably not pleased with his 1-2 record and 4.00 ERA thus far though five starts. The former Phillies fan favorite actually strung together back-to-back shutout performances, totaling 14 total innings and just five hits on April 11 and 17 — but he was knocked around by the Yankees Wednesday, surrendering four runs before getting through the fifth inning.
Nick Castellanos, Padres
There's no regret from the Phillies' front office on this one. Casty hasn't had a hit in five games and is hitting .146 this season with zero home runs through 16 games. He's barely a part-time player in San Diego right now.
Harrison Bader, Giants
Bader, another former Phils outfielder, has appeared in 15 games himself across California with San Francisco and he's been just as dreadful, a .115 batting average. Amid the Phillies desperate struggles their outfield has been hitting relatively well.
Jordan Romano, Angels
Last year's biggest bullpen flameout had two blown saves in a row in L.A. last week. In those appearances he retired one batter and surrendered five combined runs. His last two outings were clean innings — but not save situations. He has a 6.14 ERA on the year.
Joe Ross, Diamondbacks
From bad to even worse, Ross was DFA'ed after allowing eight runs in 3.2 innings for the Diamondbacks. He is currently playing in the minors.
Mick Abel, Twins
The former Phillies first-rounder landed on the Twins' injured list with an inflamed right elbow last week. Prior to the injury he had been pitching well — even spectacularly to lower his inflated ERA to 3.98. His last two starts were scoreless, with his April 14 gem containing 10 strikeouts. Minnesota might have something in Abel as he continues to improve.
Walker Buehler, Padres
The briefly tenured Phillies hurler was roughed up pretty good his last time on the hill, coughing up four runs on eight hits in just 2.2 innings. He has a 5.75 ERA through five starts in San Diego.
Weston Wilson, Orioles
Wilson has been solid in a utility role for Baltimore this season, hitting .300 while playing at third base and in the outfield in a very small sample size. At bats have been hard to come by for the journeyman who has only 13 plate appearances so far in 2026.
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