The Phillies announced the signing of LHP Kolby Allard.  He received a split contract that will pay him about $325K in the minors and $1M plus incentives on the major league active roster.  He supposedly has one option left.  I am doubtful.

Allard didn’t pitch much last season.  He spent two stints on the 60-day IL and managed just 4 appearances (3 were starts) with the Braves and 2 rehab starts at Triple-A.  He accumulated 12.1 major league innings and a 6.57 ERA.

Allard was originally drafted by the Braves in the first round of the 2015 draft out of high school.  He was the 14th overall pick.  He had a reasonable run through the minors but tended to get knocked around in the majors.  He was traded to Texas on July 30, 2019.  He has a career 9-24 record and 6.10 ERA with Texas and the Braves.

Now about that option.  His contract was selected by the Braves on July 31, 2018.  He was optioned and recalled twice more that season (1).  He was optioned again before the start of the 2019 season on March 12, 2019 (2).  He was optioned by Texas on the day he was acquired by trade.  He was recalled about a week later.  He was optioned before the start of the 2020 season before the COVID lockout (3).  He was recalled on July 23, 2020.  He was optioned at the start of the 2021 season on March 25, 2021 (4).  He was recalled on April 1, 2021.  He was optioned the following season on May 1, 2022 (5).  He was optioned and recalled a total of 6 times that season.

He was traded back to Atlanta during the offseason on November 9, 2022.  Allard avoided any options in 2023 by going on the 60-day IL on March 30, 2023, with a strained oblique and again on July 18, 2023, 20 days after being activated on June 18, 2023.

I know that all the repeated options during a season don’t count after the first one that season.  And I know options during the 2020 may not have counted at all.  But I count options in 2028, 2019, 2021, and 2022 in addition to the 2020 option.  I don’t see how he still has an option remaining.  Maybe one of his previous teams portioned for an additional option.  But two?  Color me doubtful.

Anyway, all that aside, I’m also skeptical of the value of this addition to the roster.