The Philadelphia Phillies saw a concerning roster issue grow much worse last week.

On Sunday, it was announced that reliever Jose Alvarado would be suspended 80 games with no eligibility in a potential playoff run after violating Major League Baseball’s performance enhancing drug policy.

Now, with a bullpen that was already calling for reinforcement ahead of the trade deadline, the team is left to determine what external options might be out there to plug the hole. And that could mean reaching back out to free agent reliever David Robertson, after it was reported the Phillies already contacted him about a possible reunion.

“Prior to the announcement of Alvarado’s suspension, a source said the Phillies reached out to free agent David Robertson, easily the best reliever left on the open market,” Mark Feinsand wrote for MLB.com. “No serious talks took place, the source said, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Phillies considered a reunion with the 40-year-old, who has had two previous stints in Philadelphia.”

But even after a hypothetical reunion with Robertson, the Phillies would likely explore an additional bullpen arm. The team was struggling to close out games even with Alvarado, and Robertson alone likely wouldn’t be enough for a deep playoff run.

Exploring the options that the Phillies have to leverage for a bullpen piece, Tim Kelly of On Pattison predicted the team would leverage Sunday’s impressive start from Mick Abel to entice prospective sellers.

“There’s an argument to be made for moving him while he’s re-established his value,” Kelly wrote. “And starting pitchers often carry the most values in trades. So it would not surprise me remotely if Sunday proves to be the highlight of Abel’s time with the Phillies and he’s ultimately a trade chip before the July 31 deadline.”

A former first-round draft pick, Abel struggled mightily in Triple-A last year but has looked much better at that level throughout this season. After moving Aaron Nola to the injured list, the Phillies called upon him for a spot start and he proceeded to rack up nine strikeouts in six scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

But with a deep rotation and a clear lack of bullpen options, even if they added someone like Robertson, the Phillies might see Abel’s best value in what he can bring back for a win-now season.