The Philadelphia Phillies are strengthening their bullpen as they head into the holiday season. The club announced on Monday the signing of right-handed reliever Zach Pop to a one-year deal, marking another strategic move in their roster management.
At 29 years old, Pop faced significant challenges during the 2025 season, dealing with injuries while transitioning between three teams. After experiencing elbow discomfort that led to his release by the Toronto Blue Jays in early April, he joined the Seattle Mariners on a Minor League contract. However, his performance was lackluster, yielding 11 earned runs in just over six innings before facing designation for assignment. Following a brief stint with the New York Mets, where he made only one appearance, Pop found himself a free agent once again.
Despite these setbacks, Pop has a history that includes more promising outings. He carries a career ERA of 4.45 across 158 appearances with both the Miami Marlins and Toronto, but his potential is evident from his ability to generate ground balls, achieving a 54.5 percent groundball rate in 2025, thanks in large part to a fast average sinker velocity of 96.4 mph.
His best performance came in 2022 when he began the season with the Marlins, showcasing a 3.60 ERA over 18 games before being traded to Seattle. During his time with the Mariners, he allowed only four earned runs in 19 innings, backed by impressive metrics, including a 39.3 percent chase rate and a remarkably low walk rate of 2.5 percent.
Zach Pop’s three-pitch mix — including a sinker, slider, and cutter — suggests he could thrive as a pitch-to-contact pitcher, effectively inducing soft contact when pitching at the lower part of the strike zone.
The signing is considered a low-risk addition for Phillies president Dave Dombrowski and the front office, as Pop now occupies the 39th spot on the team’s 40-man roster. With no Minor League options remaining, he will compete for a spot in the bullpen during the upcoming spring training.
This addition hints at a thoughtful approach by the Phillies as they look to solidify their pitching depth, demonstrating a commitment to improving their team dynamics ahead of the new season.