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The Philadelphia Phillies are coming off a season in which they lost in the National League Championship Series to the Arizona Diamondbacks. They finished the regular season with a record of 90-72 but were able to make a deep playoff run by defeating the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card and NL Divisional Series, respectively.
Heading into the 2024 MLB season, the Phillies lost a key player on their roster in free agency. Star closer Craig Kimbrel signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles, as he joins the AL East franchise to bolster their bullpen.
Now that Kimbrel is off to the Orioles, who is the Phillies designated closer for the upcoming season? Let's take a look at the team's bullpen situation ahead of the start of a new season.
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Who Is the Phillies Closer in 2024?
As per reports, Jose Alvarado is the designated closer for the Philadelphia Phillies for the 2024 MLB season. The 29-year-old pitcher statistically had a better season than Kimbrel last year, which is one of the reasons why the franchise might not miss the latter that much in 2024.
In 2020, the Tampa Bay Rays traded Alvarado to the Phillies, and ever since then, he has been a crucial part of their bullpen. Last year, he signed a two-year $18.55 million contract extension and has a club option for the next season.
The Venezuelan product will get the opportunity to finish more games for his team this season. It is good news for fantasy managers who are looking to draft him or already have him on their team.
Jose Alvarado is the most electric pitcher in baseball pic.twitter.com/g7AsAwqdao
— Phillies Muse (@Phillies_Muse) April 27, 2023
Jose Alvarado 2024 Fantasy Baseball Outlook
Jose Alvarado made 42 appearances last season and had a record of 0-2. In those games, he pitched 41.1 innings with an ERA of just 1.74. He gave up 30 hits and three home runs while recording 64 strikeouts.
Alvarado registered 10 saves last season while averaging 13.94 strikeouts per nine innings (K/9), and he is expected to have an even better campaign this year.
The Phillies are still World Series contenders, as they have managed to keep all their core players together for another season. Everyone knows how dangerous the NL East franchise becomes in the playoffs, and pressure will be on Alvarado as he prepares to replace Craig Kimbrel.
Jose Alvarado slams the door to secure a @Phillies win!
FINAL: NYM 4, PHI 5 pic.twitter.com/SJFJtCXynW
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 22, 2023
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