Going into the offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies made it clear that they wanted to re-sign Kyle Schwarber. He was a huge portion of the team's offense, and the two agreed on a five-year, $150 million contract.
With that high-profile player on the open market, you can forgive fans if they were not paying attention to some of the smaller moves Philadelphia has made so far.
The club was also able to get deals done with Adolis Garcia. Genesis Cabrera and Brad Keller. They were also involved in a few trades, acquiring Jonathan Bowlan from the Kansas City Royals, Kyle Backhus in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Yoniel Curet in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.
MORE: Phillies trade for 3.40 ERA pitcher from Pirates in exchange for infielder
Phillies' Brad Keller singing viewed as a 'sneaky-good' move
Adolis Garcia could prove to be a huge addition for the club. He was a large portion of the Texas Rangers' offense over the last few years, but did take a step back last season.
On the pitching front, signing Brad Keller could prove to be a big get. He will be the high-leverage arm that gets the ball to Jhoan Duran in the ninth.
Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer also believes this could be a "sneaky-good" free agent signing, and one to watch out for in 2026.
"With Jhoan Duran slated to close games in 2026, the Phillies merely need Keller to handle seventh- and eighth-inning duties. He'll provide closer-caliber work in that role if he picks up where he left off from the end of last year."
Keller can handle the seventh or eighth inning duties, but as a previous starting pitcher, he could also eat some innings if need be. And unlike many other relievers, his five-pitch mix can be harder to track than a reliever who only uses three pitches in their arsenal.
Do not be surprised if Philadelphia's bullpen comes out strong during the upcoming season.
More MLB news:
- Phil Maton could prove to be a huge addition for the Cubs in 2026
- Rays' Cedric Mullins signing could be the steal of the offseason
- Munetaka Murakami and a young core make the White Sox worth watching again
- Rangers' bullpen remains the biggest threat to their 2026 success
- Tigers urged to bring in a difference-maker before it's too late