After spending the 2024 season bouncing between the minor leagues and the majors with the Phillies, a member of Philadelphia’s pitching staff has found a new home.
Left-handed pitcher has signed a minor-league deal with the Cleveland Guardians, which includes an invitation to big-league spring training, the team announced Monday.
He owns a career 5.99 ERA across seven seasons with three teams. He initially signed a one-year contract with the Phillies before the 2024 season but spent most of the year with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. After a rough start, he was removed from the IronPigs’ rotation after just three starts and sent to the Florida Complex League in May. However, he quickly progressed, earning a promotion to Double-A and then returning to Lehigh Valley, where he found more success.
As the Phillies struggled to find a consistent fifth starter in the second half of the season—especially after Spencer Turnbull’s injury—they rotated between Taijuan Walker, Tyler Phillips, and Allard, with occasional appearances from Michael Mercado and Seth Johnson. However, none of them provided a long-term solution. Walker had the worst season of his career, Phillips faded after a promising start, and Allard had mixed results.
In 27 innings for Philadelphia, Kolby Allard posted a 5.00 ERA across four starts and seven total appearances. He was effective early on, recording a 3.46 ERA in his first three starts, but was optioned back to Triple-A on Aug. 9. He returned for a start on Aug. 25, allowing two runs in five innings before being sent down again. Called back up on Sept. 14, he struggled down the stretch, surrendering eight runs over his final nine innings.
After the season, the Phillies outrighted Allard off the 40-man roster, and he chose free agency. Without minor-league options remaining, Philadelphia would have had to keep him on the 26-man roster in 2025 or risk losing him on waivers, so they opted to free up the roster spot instead. Since then, the Phillies have bolstered their rotation by acquiring Jesús Luzardo from the Marlins and signing Joe Ross, while also expecting top prospect Andrew Painter to debut this summer after recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Given the Phillies’ deep starting rotation—anchored by Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, and Ranger Suárez—Allard’s chances of making the team were slim. Moving to Cleveland presents a better opportunity for him to carve out a role in the majors next season.
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