With the trade deadline nearing, contending teams need to decide how much they are willing to give for a shot at the title.
In the opinion of Chad Jennings, Aaron Gleeman and Tim Britton with The Athletic, “(t)he Phillies should be as committed as anyone to building a roster with a chance.”
Could that mean a deal for a certain left-handed, flame-throwing, veteran reliever currently with the Boston Red Sox?
Regardless of who they target, the Philles definitely need to address their bullpen issues. Philadelphia relievers have combined for a 4.63 ERA, which ranks 25th out of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball, and opponents are batting .259 against Phillies non-starters, a mark that is tied for 24th.
Even more specifically, most MLB analysts agree that the Phillies team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski absolutely must acquire a high-leverage relief pitcher, especially given the suspension left-handed reliever José Alvarado of for violating MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, which means that he will not be eligible to pitch in the postseason for Philadelphia.
As Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently wrote, “Dombrowski has largely resisted utilizing major resources on the bullpen during his time leading the Philadelphia front office, but if the team wants to emerge from a deep National League this October, that’s going to have to change.”
Trading for Aroldis Chapman Likely to Cost Less Than Other Available Closers
It’s likely going to have to involve digging into the team’s pool of prospects and making some tough decisions.
“It’s going to hurt,” said longtime Phillies journalist James Salisbury. “Whatever they do, they’re going to give up a guy who’s going to play in the big leagues and probably be pretty good, has a lot of upside, and it’s going to hurt.”
But it has to be done, Salisbury stressed, if Philadelphia is going to make a long October run. Appearing in a recent episode of “The Phillies Show” podcast alongside co-hosts Ruben Amaro Jr. and Todd Zolecki, Salisbury said the Phillies, who are among the league leaders in blown saves, must plug that hole.
“They really need a guy in the seventh, eighth, or ninth inning, and I’m probably leaning toward the ninth inning,” Salisbury said.
There could be a handful of intriguing options available before the trade deadline on July 31, and given the increasing importance of a strong bullpen to playoff success, there will likely be a bevy of bidders competing for those options. A significant difference between some of those potential acquisitions involves remaining years of control, which would certainly impact the overall strength of the offer necessary to complete a trade.
And it’s in that aspect where Salisbury said he recommends Philadelphia roll the dice on a pending free agent, rather than pay the higher premium for a reliever with another season or more remaining on his contract.
“I’m looking for a short-timer,” said the Phillies beat reporter for CSNPhilly.com. “Eight weeks and a handshake.”
Which would rule out closers such as Jhoan Duran of the Minnesota Twins, Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians, Felix Bautista of the Baltimore Orioles. And brings us back to the aforementioned Red Sox reliever: Aroldis Chapman.
Aroldis Chapman ‘Fits All the Criteria’ to Boost Phillies Playoff Hopes
The 37-year-old Chapman is currently on a one-year deal for $10.75 million, and he brings valuable postseason experience, having won the World Series with the Chicago Cubs in 2016 and the Texas Rangers in 2023.
“I like Chapman,” Amaro said. “He’s been there and done it.”
“He fits all the criteria,” Salisbury agreed.
Especially the criteria of a successful pitcher. Chapman has a 1.36 ERA in 36 appearances, with 14 saves in 15 opportunities, and he has struck out 48 batters with just 10 walks in 33 innings.
Plus, a trade for Chapman wouldn’t require near the high-end pieces that the Phillies would likely have to part with to get most of the other available closers, such as top prospects Andrew Painter or Aidan Miller.
“I don’t think it’s going to cost you as much,” Amaro said. “I know it’s just one year or a couple months of control. I like that idea.”
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