The Phillies have agreed to terms on a contract for the 2025 season with right-handed pitcher Joe Ross. To make room for Ross on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher José Cuas has been designated for assignment, as announced by Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski.
Ross, 31, appeared in 25 games (10 starts) with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2024, recording a 3.77 ERA (31 ER, 74.0 IP) with 66 strikeouts to 29 walks. As a reliever, he posted a 1.67 ERA (5 ER, 27.0 IP) with 27 strikeouts to 11 walks, limiting opponents to a .220 batting average. Of his 15 relief appearances, 12 were scoreless, and he pitched more than 1.0 inning in 10 of them. Ross was among five major leaguers who made at least 10 starts and pitched in relief 15 times.
Ross’s 1.67 ERA out of the bullpen last season ranked sixth among major league relievers (min. 25 IP), trailing only Emmanuel Clase (0.61), Kirby Yates (1.17), Bryan Hoeing (1.51), Edwin Uceta (1.51), and Hunter Gaddis (1.57). He averaged 94.8 miles per hour on his four-seam fastball and sinker in 2024, surpassing his career highs set in 2019.
Originally selected by the San Diego Padres in the first round (25th overall) of the 2011 MLB Draft, the 6-foot-4 Berkeley, Calif., native is a veteran of 123 major league games (86 starts) across seven seasons with the Washington Nationals and Brewers. In his career, he has a combined 4.19 ERA (241 ER, 517.1 IP) with 469 strikeouts to 170 walks, allowing 1.15 home runs per 9.0 innings pitched.
