The Philadelphia Phillies are adding another intriguing arm to their pitching depth chart this offseason, signing former Oakland A’s right-hander Colin Peluse to a minor-league contract and assigning him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, according to the latest MiLB transaction logs. The move gives Philadelphia another developmental pitching option with upside, despite Peluse’s uneven results in the higher levels of the minors.
Peluse, 26, was selected by the A’s in the ninth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest University. He began his professional career that same year with the short-season Vermont Lake Monsters, a franchise that would later be disbanded during Major League Baseball’s contraction and restructuring of the minor leagues in 2021. Early in his career, Peluse showed promise as a starter with a sturdy frame, a mid-90s fastball, and developing secondary pitches.
Across his first three professional seasons — from 2019 through 2022 — Peluse primarily worked as a starting pitcher, rising steadily through Oakland’s farm system. He made a brief but efficient stop in Double-A in 2021, tossing 15 innings that season before earning a more extended role the following year. In 2022, Peluse made 23 appearances (21 of them starts) for Double-A Midland, logging 118 2/3 innings with a 5.38 ERA. While the ERA was higher than the A’s hoped for, scouts pointed to his durability, strike-throwing ability, and flashes of above-average stuff as signs that more development could unlock a meaningful big-league role.
However, Triple-A proved to be a stumbling block. Peluse received a brief promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas late in the 2022 season, but it was a rough introduction. He surrendered seven earned runs in just 1 2/3 innings, a small but eye-catching sample that underscored the challenges of pitching in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Las Vegas is known as one of the most difficult pitching environments in all of professional baseball, and many young pitchers have struggled during their early exposure to the level.
Oakland shifted Peluse’s role in 2023, moving him primarily to the bullpen in hopes that shorter outings would allow his stuff to play up. The transition continued into 2024, and the most recent season marked the first time in his professional career that he worked exclusively as a reliever, without any starts or opener assignments. Relief work allowed Peluse to focus more on attacking hitters with his fastball-slider combination, though command inconsistencies and elevated Triple-A numbers remained issues.
For the Phillies, this move represents a low-risk, high-upside addition to their organizational pitching pool. Peluse has a track record as both a starter and reliever, giving Philadelphia flexibility as it evaluates how best to utilize him in 2026. His assignment to Triple-A Lehigh Valley suggests that the club sees him as a potential depth option who could contribute if adjustments click.
Peluse’s size, velocity, and experience at multiple levels give the Phillies something to work with, and their player development staff has earned praise in recent years for revitalizing or retooling pitchers with similar profiles. Should Peluse find consistency in Triple-A, he could emerge as a bullpen option later in the season.
For now, Philadelphia will see whether a change of scenery — and a new organization — can help unlock the potential the A’s once saw when they drafted him out of Wake Forest. With spring training still ahead, Peluse enters the Phillies’ system as a project arm, but one with the raw material worth taking a chance on.
