What happened: Acquired alongside Luis Arraez at the 2026 trade deadline in exchange for prospect Ramon Marquez, right-hander Caleb Kilian threw just 48 pitches for the Philadelphia Phillies before an oblique strain ended his season. The Phillies placed Kilian on the 15-day injured list in August, and he did not return down the stretch.

Why it matters: Philadelphia targeted Kilian as a controllable bullpen reclamation project similar to Jonathan Bowlan, helping balance the cost of parting with Marquez for an offensive boost that never materialized. Because the injury cut short his audition after a rough initial outing, the front office enters the offseason without a meaningful sample size to evaluate his role.

What to watch: Kilian remains under team control heading into 2027 spring training, where Philadelphia will evaluate whether he can claim a relief spot in a reshaped bullpen.