Phillies sign righty Joe Ross and develop pitching plan for Andrew Painter

Want to know when Andrew Painter finally hits the majors?

Think about early summer.

With Painter coming back from Tommy John elbow surgery, the Phillies want to wait until “July” to call him up, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday. The idea is to save most of the 21-year-old top prospect’s limited innings for the second half of the season and, if all goes as planned, the playoffs.

” READ MORE: Andrew Painter is healthy and can pitch again. Here’s how the Phillies plan for his return in 2025.

Dombrowski did not reveal how many innings Painter will be allowed to throw next season after missing the past two years with torn elbow ligaments that required surgery in August 2023. But he said the Phillies have come up with a “general plan” in which Painter will gradually build his arm strength early in the season.

According to Dombrowski, Painter is expected to report to major league camp and complete spring training. Just don’t expect to see him in Grapefruit League games.

“We’re going to push the innings back,” Dombrowski said. “Andrew understands the plan. We think it’s a good plan.”

If the Phillies break camp at the end of March, Painter will likely remain in Clearwater, Florida, and continue training as part of an expanded spring program. He would begin his season in the minor leagues before being promoted to the Phillies’ rotation midway through the season.

But the Phillies also want to be careful not to burn through too many of Painter’s innings in the minors. Once he begins his major league career, they want him to reach the finish line of the season without being suspended for an innings restriction.

“We’re going to save a lot of his innings until we get to the big league level around July,” Dombrowski said. “It could be June, maybe August, somewhere around that. But at the minor league level, you can’t use too many (innings).”

” READ MORE: The Phillies acquire pitcher Jesus Luzardo in a trade with the Marlins.

The Phillies will open the season with five experienced starters: Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and newly acquired left-hander Jesús Luzardo.

Taijuan Walker is expected to come to spring training to compete for a spot. But after posting a 7.10 ERA last season — the highest mark for a Phillies pitcher with at least 80 innings in a season since 1930 — he is not guaranteed a job, although he is owed $36 million through 2026. The Phillies gave Walker a multi-step off-season training program to rebuild arm strength and restore speed.

“Hopefully he pitches like he’s capable of pitching and we have six starters and we have a big problem in spring training where we have to sit down and decide what we’re going to do,” Dombrowski said. “You never have enough pitching. We told him he wasn’t guaranteed a spot on the grid. So does he hit one of these other guys or does he slide into the bullpen? But he has to pitch well in the spring.”

Throw a punch at Ross

Two shopping days before Christmas, the Phillies checked one final item off their offseason list.

Joe Ross, a right-handed swingman with experience as a starter and reliever, agreed to a one-year deal. According to a league source, the deal is worth $4 million.

The Phillies were looking for a pitcher who could provide more rotation depth or serve as a reliever for multiple innings. Ross, 31, has filled both roles in his seven-year major league career, most recently with the Brewers last season.

” READ MORE: Phillies are stockpiling starters, which makes sense in a pitching-friendly era

“We thought he would be a really good fit because he could start or relieve for us,” Dombrowski said. “He was happy to do both, he said, no matter what.”

Ross returned to the majors in 2024 after a nearly three-year absence due to torn elbow ligaments that required Tommy John surgery. He posted a 3.77 ERA in 25 appearances for Milwaukee, including a 1.67 mark in 15 relief appearances. He had a 4.98 ERA in 10 starts.

The Phillies expect Ross to succeed free agent Spencer Turnbull, who had a solid starting role at the start of last season before moving to the bullpen, ultimately injuring his shoulder in late June and missing the rest of the season .

Including Ross, the Phillies have seven relievers (José Alvarado, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, recently signed Jordan Romano, Tanner Banks and José Ruiz are the others) under contract for next season.

Additional bases

According to the Associated Press, the Phillies will pay $14.4 million in luxury taxes in 2024, with a 2014 payroll of $264,314,135 million. Nine teams pay a surcharge, led by the World Series team. Champion Dodgers with a tax bill of $103 million. It’s the third year in a row the Phillies have been taxed. They paid nearly $7 million in 2023 and $2.89 million in 2022. … To make room for Ross on the 40-man roster, the Phillies designated right guard Jose Cuas for assignment. They claimed Cuas off waivers from the Blue Jays in September and stashed him in Triple A. … The Phillies signed several players to minor league contracts, including three pitchers with major league experience: left-hander Nick Vespi and right-hander Joel Kuhnel and Nabil Crismatt.