Philadelphia Phillies made a quiet pitching move ahead of their upcoming series against the Cleveland Guardians, signing right-hander Drake Fellows to a minor league contract after his recent stint with the New York Yankees organization.
The Phillies enter the weekend looking to rebound after dropping two of three games against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park. While the major league club continues relying heavily on strong pitching performances, Philadelphia’s front office remains active in strengthening organizational depth behind the scenes.
Fellows, 28, was originally selected by the San Diego Padres in the sixth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt University. Although he has yet to make his major league debut, the right-hander has steadily built experience throughout the minor leagues over the past several seasons.
Last season, Fellows appeared in 33 Triple-A games, including 19 starts, posting a 9-6 record with a 4.41 ERA. His ability to work both as a starter and reliever gives the Phillies additional flexibility at the Triple-A level.
According to reports from Lehigh Valley, Fellows was immediately assigned to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs roster and quickly inserted into game action. The organization appears eager to evaluate whether he can become a useful depth option later in the season.
While this signing is unlikely to generate major headlines, these types of moves can become important over the course of a long MLB season. Injuries and bullpen fatigue often force contenders to lean heavily on organizational pitching depth, and Philadelphia has already experienced how valuable experienced minor league arms can become during playoff races.
Fellows also represents a low-risk addition with some upside. His background as a former draft pick from a powerhouse college program and his Triple-A experience make him a potentially useful insurance option if the Phillies need reinforcements later this year.
For now, the move primarily strengthens the organization’s pitching depth at Lehigh Valley, but strong performances there could eventually put Fellows on the radar for a future call-up.
