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After trading reliever Matt Strahm due to clubhouse concerns, Rob Thomson must take the next steps to finalize his roster.
The Philadelphia Phillies have changed up their bullpen quite a bit this offseason. Between trading Matt Strahm and signing Brad Keller, this Phillies bullpen will look very different in 2026.
The Phillies brought a familiar face back from the 2025 season, re-signing reliever Lou Trivino to a minor league deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Free-agent reliever Lou Trivino in agreement with Phillies on minor-league deal with invitation to major-league spring training, source tells @TheAthletic. Ended last season with Phillies.
Trivino finished the season in Philadelphia after bouncing around a bit during the 2025 season.
In 47 games between the San Francisco Giants, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Phillies, Trivino pitched to a 3.97 ERA with 37 strikeouts, but got better as the year went on, posting a 2.00 ERA in 10 games with the Phillies.
What Will Trivino Bring to the Philadelphia Phillies?
Trivino was an 11th-round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics. He would end up making his debut in 2018.
During the 2018 season, Trivino pitched to a 2.92 ERA in 69 games, forming a potent 1-2 punch with Blake Treinen.
In 2019, however, he took a step back, pitching to a 5.25 ERA in 61 games. He would bounce back during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, pitching to a 3.86 ERA in 20 games.
In 2021, Trivino would take on a bigger role, pitching in 71 games to a 3.18 ERA and 22 saves. The next year, he was not so fortunate. In 39 games with the A’s, Trivino posted a 6.47 ERA and recorded 10 saves.
He was subsequently traded, along with Frankie Montas, to the New York Yankees at the Trade Deadline.
In 25 games with the Yankees, he pitched to a 1.66 ERA. He was finally on his way back to stardom when Tommy John surgery and shoulder injuries caused him to miss the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Once back from injury, he did not look the same, with his fastball velocity dipping a couple of ticks. His ground-ball rate also went down considerably, from 52.3% in 2022 to 35.6% in 2025, per Baseball Savant.
Now, entering his age-34 season, Trivino must navigate through the struggles he had in 2025.
How Does Trivino Fit on the Phillies?
Currently, Jhoan Duran is the closer for Philadelphia, with Jose Alvarado and Keller in setup roles. Outside of those arms, Orion Kerkering and Tanner Banks figure to have some quality innings in them.
For Trivino to make the team, he will have to compete for innings in spring training with Jonathan Bowlan, Kyle Backhus, Zach Pop and Tim Mayza, along with minor league arms.
Bowlan was acquired in the Strahm deal and had a 3.86 ERA in 2025 with the Kansas City Royals, and has a strong chance to make the roster.
Backhus, Pop and Mayza had their struggles last year, meaning Trivino has a strong chance to beat out those arms with a good performance in spring training.
The deal is a no-risk, high-reward signing for the Phillies, who could use some help with their middle-relief arms.
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Matthew Singer Matthew Singer is a sports reporter covering MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2025, and has two years of experience covering local professional, collegiate and high school sports, including writing for Cronkite News and Arizona PBS. More about Matthew Singer
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