Big names came off the board this winter, and the Phillies were able to bring back Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto. Along the way, the club also added a number of players on minor-league contracts, looking to build depth and identify upside ahead of spring training.

The Phillies have found value this way before.

In 2023, the club signed reliever Jeff Hoffman to a minor-league deal the day after Opening Day. At the time, Hoffman was a seven-year veteran with an ERA north of 5.50.

Over the next two seasons in Philadelphia, he appeared in 122 games and posted a 2.28 ERA with a 0.94 WHIP. It’s a reminder that meaningful contributors can emerge from minor moves.

With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the more interesting minor-league additions this offseason.

Pitchers

Trevor Richards, RHP

If there’s a pitcher on this list who most closely resembles a potential Hoffman-type rebound, it might be Richards.

Since transitioning to a full-time relief role in 2021, the 32-year-old has posted 10.99 strikeouts per nine innings, ranking 19th among pitchers with at least 230 appearances. That strikeout rate is actually higher than Hoffman’s over the same span. The similarities extend further: Richards has held opponents to a .214/.304/.379 slash line, nearly identical to Hoffman’s .213/.302/.381.

Richards is at his best as a swing-and-miss arm, leaning heavily on his changeup while mixing in a low-90s fastball. In 2025, he moved away from that approach and struggled, allowing 35 earned runs across 57.2 innings between the Majors and Triple-A with three organizations. With a chance to break camp amid a crowded bullpen mix, Richards will look to rediscover what made him effective earlier in his career.

Bryse Wilson, RHP

Wilson represents another low-risk arm with recent big league innings. He spent the 2025 season with the White Sox, appearing in 20 games (five starts) and posting a 6.65 ERA across 47 1/3 innings, finishing with one of the higher ERAs among pitchers who reached that workload.

The 27-year-old was a former Top 100 prospect after three straight minor league seasons (2017–19) with 20-plus starts and a sub-3.50 ERA. He flashed upside as recently as 2023 with Milwaukee, when he posted a 2.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP over 76 2/3 innings in a full-time bullpen role. That season, opponents hit just .165 against his cutter and .106 against his four-seam fastball.

Those gains disappeared in 2025 after changes to his pitch mix, but Wilson profiles as a swingman if given the opportunity.

Jonathan Hernández, RHP

Hernández debuted in 2019 and found early success with Texas. Across parts of his first three seasons, he posted a 3.29 ERA in 65 appearances. That stretch included his return from Tommy John surgery, which sidelined him for all of 2021.

Since then, results have been more uneven. Over the past two seasons, Hernández registered a 5.40 ERA at the Major League level. In 2025, however, he rebounded in the Rays organization, posting a 2.25 ERA at Triple-A.

What keeps him interesting is velocity. In 2022, Hernández ranked in the 97th percentile in fastball velocity, averaging 98 mph. If that velocity pairs consistently with his slider, he could push himself into the conversation this spring.

Génesis Cabrera, LHP

Cabrera has been well-traveled. Over the last three seasons, the 29-year-old left-hander has appeared in the Majors with six different organizations.

Command has been the persistent issue throughout his career, reflected in a 4.4 walks-per-nine rate. His most effective stretch came after being traded from St. Louis to Toronto in 2023, when he posted a 2.66 ERA across 23.2 innings. During that run, he leaned heavily on a fastball-cutter combination — each used more than 32 percent of the time as part of a five-pitch mix.

Since then, those pitches have not been paired as frequently, something the Phillies could look to revisit. If the club seeks additional left-handed options in the bullpen, Cabrera could factor into that mix.

Other pitchers signed: RHP Michael Mercado (re-signed), RHP Colin Peluse, RHP MT Morrissey, RHP Lenny Torres Jr., RHP Kyle Brnovich, LHP Adam Seminaris, LHP Tucker Davidson

Position players

Bryan De La Cruz, OF

De La Cruz is a familiar name. The 29-year-old spent his first four seasons with Miami, appearing in 431 games and slashing .258/.305/.419. On a 162-game basis, he averaged just under 21 home runs and 72 RBIs in his Marlins tenure.

He finished the 2024 season with Pittsburgh but struggled, then signed with Atlanta in free agency for 2025 and appeared in just 16 games before being designated for assignment. De La Cruz later signed with the Yankees and spent the remainder of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a .796 OPS with 30 extra-base hits in 91 games.

He capped the year with a strong showing in the Dominican Winter League, winning MVP honors after hitting .301 with eight home runs and a .888 OPS. De La Cruz provides right-handed power and could factor into the bench mix.

René Pinto, C

Once considered the top catching prospect in the Rays organization, Pinto has had difficulty sticking in the Majors. When he has played, however, the power has been evident.

Across his last two big-league seasons, Pinto hit eight home runs in 57 games with a .448 slugging percentage. In that span, he posted above-average barrel rates, hard-hit rates, and average exit velocity. Defensively, his 1.87 pop time ranked in the 95th percentile three seasons ago.

The sample size is limited, but his minor-league production supports the profile. In four of the past five seasons, Pinto recorded an OPS of .825 or higher. With Realmuto back in place, there’s no immediate need behind the plate, but Pinto may add depth and power if the situation calls for it.

Other position players signed: SS Liover Peguero, C Mark Kolozsvary, SS Christian Cairo