Phillies urged to finally promote 24-year-old reliever with a 0.48 ERA

The Philadelphia Phillies might not have the strong farm system that they had last season, with Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford graduating due to their MLB playing time, but there are still some interesting players in the farm system.

Even with Aidan Miller still recovering from a back injury, Gage Wood looks incredible, Gabriel Rincones Jr. might force his way onto the MLB roster later this year, and a right-handed reliever is dominating to the tune of a 0.48 ERA this season.

Matt Gelb of The Athletic is urging the Phillies to finally promote this righty reliever, Alex McFarlane, up to a higher level from Double-A. The 24-year-old is ready for the next step, as he's shown more than enough at Double-A this season.

Phillies urged to promote 0.48 ERA reliever

"I think it's well past time for Alex McFarlane to be promoted to Triple-A," Gelb writes. "... It makes sense to challenge him with better hitters at Triple-A. It would also benefit everyone to have McFarlane pitch with the big-league baseball, which is used at Triple-A and not Double-A."

The Phillies should have seen enough of McFarlane in Double-A at this point for them to promote him to Triple-A and get him familiar with close-to-MLB-level competition.

He has a 0.48 ERA this season in 19 appearances in Double-A, and across 18.2 innings, he's struck out 26 batters with 10 walks and a .172 batting average against.

McFarlane was promoted to the Major Leagues earlier this season, but didn't make an appearance and was quickly sent back down to Double-A.

MORE: Phillies’ Aidan Miller finally beginning baseball activities amid back injury

But the 24-year-old has shown enough this season to at least be promoted to Triple-A. Getting him into some live game action, one stop from the Majors, would be huge for the Phillies.

Instead of spending prospects at this year's deadline to acquire reliever help, the Phillies could instead promote McFarlane, and seeing what he could do at Triple-A would help make such a decision with confidence if he thrives, or pivot to a trade if he struggles.

Regardless of the next step, Gelb is urging the Phillies to finally promote McFarlane to Triple-A. He's more than deserving of the call-up, and it would make a lot of sense to get him action at the doorstep of the Majors ahead of what could be a late-season call-up.

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