With just about a month until Spring Training gets underway, the Philadelphia Phillies still have one glaring need that needs to be addressed on their roster.

The team has already lost elite relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman, who was an All-Star in 2024, in free agency to the Toronto Blue Jays. He has been excellent over the last two years for the franchise, turning into a versatile weapon out of the bullpen.

But, some concerns with his physical, as the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves both flagged something this offseason before he landed with the Blue Jays, could have played a part in the Phillies allowing him to move on.

Joining him in free agency and looking to be as good as gone is Carlos Estevez.

Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels ahead of the deadline last July, he quickly emerged as a reliable late-game option for manager Rob Thomson.

Despite things being slow developing, he should receive a lucrative multi-year deal on the open market like Hoffman.

With two prominent pieces of their bullpen gone, one of the biggest questions remaining in the opinion of Jim Bowden of The Athletic is whether or not another high-leverage reliever is needed.

The answer right now looks to be yes.

There have been a few additions made to the bullpen this offseason; Jordan Romano and Joe Ross agreed to one-year deals in free agency and Aaron Combs was acquired from the Chicago White Sox in a trade.

Romano has legitimate upside as a two-time All-Star and elite late-game option for Toronto from 2021-2023. Injuries derailed him in 2024, which led to the team non-tendering him and landing with the Phillies.

If he can return to form, he can definitely help overcome the losses of Estevez and Hoffman.

However, that is a big risk to take, especially for a team looking to contend for a World Series and was eliminated this past October in part because their bullpen faltered at the worst time.

If Philadelphia doesn’t want to commit huge money to someone such as Estevez or Tanner Scott, they should look into Kirby Yates and David Robertson.

Both are coming off strong seasons with the Texas Rangers, but their age will likely deter teams from offering a multi-year deal.

A one-year commitment to either of them while easing Orion Kerkering into a more high-leverage role would be an ideal outcome for the franchise ahead of Spring Training.