Phillies and right-hander Joe Ross agree to one-year deal

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Phillies and right-hander Joe Ross agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract on Monday.

The 31-year-old Ross made 10 starts and 25 total appearances for the Milwaukee Brewers last season. He went 3-6 with a 3.77 ERA.

The 6-foot-2 Ross was selected by the San Diego Padres in the first round of the 2011 amateur draft and has played 123 games in seven seasons for the Washington Nationals and Brewers. In his career, he has posted a combined ERA of 4.19 with 469 strikeouts and 170 walks. He is 29-34 years old.

Ross is the latest in an offseason of minor moves for the defending National League East champions. The Phillies acquired left-hander Jesús Luzardo from the Miami Marlins and signed free agent outfielder Max Kepler to a one-year, $10 million contract.

The Phillies, meanwhile, have no plans to use coveted prospect Andrew Painter in spring training games as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

Painter, 21, injured his elbow during 2023 spring training and was treated by Los Angeles Dodgers head physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache, operated. Painter was the 13th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft and signed for a $3.9 million bonus.

“He will pitch but has no plans to pitch in games,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday. “We’re going to push the innings back.”

Dombrowski said Painter will eventually establish himself in the minor leagues and could make his major league debut in the summer.

Painter made six starts and allowed four runs in the Arizona Fall League. He struck out 18 batters in 15⅔ innings after sitting out each of the last two seasons.

Painter stormed through Philadelphia’s system in 2022, going 6-2 with a 1.48 ERA in 26 appearances split between two Single-A teams and Double-A Reading.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.