The Phillies have added an experienced relief of late play to their list of candidates.
Brandon Kintzler has agreed to a minor contract with the club, sources confirmed. The 36-year-old right-hander led the Miami Marlins with 12 saves last year and a career-high 29 while hitting for the Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals in 2017.
Based on his record, Kintzler, who was an All-Star with the Twins in 2017, stands a good chance of earning a spot in the Phillies’ season opener. He is one of a handful of relievers the club has added since Dave Dombrowski was appointed president of baseball operations in December.
Dombrowski’s distinctive bullpen move was to sign free agent Archie Bradley. In addition, Dombrowski traded for Jose Alvarado and Sam Coonrod. He also added veterans Neftali Feliz, Hector Rondon, Michael Ynoa, David Paulino and others, including Kintzler, to minor transactions.
The Phillies had the worst bull in the majors in 2020. The team lost 21 games in which they had a lead at one point, most in the majors, and the bullpen finished with an ERA of 7.06.
Hector Neris returns to the bull in 2021, and Connor Brogdon can hold a spot based on his work in 2020. After that, the Phillies bulb trees may have a bunch of newcomers in 2021.
Despite hitting just 14 innings and hitting 11 in 24 overs for Miami last year, Kintzler reached a period of 2.22 and helped the Marlins reach the extended national season in 2020.
Kintzler spoke openly about how the Marlins, who were plagued by COVID-19 early in the season, draw inspiration from a trip to Philadelphia. While in the clubhouse, players from Marlins heard NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Ricky Bottalico, pre- and post-match analyst, call them ‘bottom feeders’. It became a rallying cry for the Marlins, who overtook the Phillies in the standings during the final days of the season. They even had the phrase printed on T-shirts.
Maybe Kintzler has an extra one in his suitcase for Ricky Bo.
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