After the Philadelphia Phillies traded away Matt Strahm, the team's top left-handed reliever, adding more depth to the bullpen was key.
Brad Keller is taking over Strahm's role as a set-up man, but the Phillies need to add more lefty relievers to the bullpen. Kyle Buckhus was traded for, and recently, another lefty reliever was added to the roster.
According to MLB insider Mike Rodriguez, the Phillies are signing former St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays lefty reliever Genesis Cabrera to a free agent contract, with an invitation to Spring Training.
Phillies sign former Cardinals, Blue Jays reliever to free agent deal
Rodriguez reports that the one-year deal for Cabrera is a minor league contract, with an invitation to Spring Training. This is a good signing for the Phillies, as it's a low-risk, high-upside move due to his status of not being on the MLB roster.
If he has a strong Spring Training and can cement his status on the MLB roster, then it's a great signing. But if he struggles or doesn't stand out, then the Phillies can keep him in the minor leagues as a depth option this season.
Cabrera is a 6'2'' left-hander who is 29 years old and played in the Major Leagues since the 2019 season. He spent the first 4.5 years with the Cardinals before joining the Blue Jays for a season and a half.
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With the Cardinals, Cabrera posted ERAs of 4.87 (13 games), 2.42 (19 games), 3.73 (71 games), 4.63 (39 games), and 5.06 (32 games). With the Blue Jays, he posted a 2.66 ERA in 29 games in 2023, and in 2024, he had a 3.59 ERA in 69 games.
During the 2025 season, Cabrera spent time with four different MLB organizations. He pitched in 24 games for the New York Mets, six games for the Chicago Cubs, nine games for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and 16 games for the Minnesota Twins.
Across his 40 appearances during his 2025 season, Cabrera had a 6.54 ERA. He's most likely not going to be a transformational singing for the Phillies, but he's a lefty with years of experience, and some highlight moments in his seven-year MLB career.
The journeyman lefty reliever has a new stop in Philadelphia, as he's going to try to carve out a role in the Phillies' bullpen for the 2026 MLB season.
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