To say the Philadelphia Phillies need bullpen help would be an understatement. Not only is Jose Alvarado currently suspended and unable to be used in the postseason thanks to a positive PED test, but Philadelphia essentially has two relievers — Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm — that it can realistically trust late in a close game. They had hoped Jordan Romano would join that inner circle, but that ship has sailed. With their bullpen needing a boost, ESPN's David Schoenfield believes the team should trade for one of the best closers in the game, Emmanuel Clase.
"When I flipped on the Phillies-Braves game Saturday, the score was 1-1 in the seventh inning with the bases loaded as Philly's Jordan Romano pitched to Atlanta's Sean Murphy. The broadcast flashed a graphic showing the Braves were the only team without a grand slam this season. First pitch: Boom. The Phillies need bullpen help and they need to win now. This has all the markings of a Dave Dombrowski deal," Schoenfield wrote.
It goes without saying this would be ideal. The Phillies, as Schoenfield wrote, are a team that needs to win now, and they really need bullpen help. It's hard to envision them doing any better than Clase. Would a Clase deal be realistic, though?
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Emmanuel Clase trade idea feels more like fantasy than reality for the Phillies
Clase's 3.13 ERA might be a bit higher than MLB fans are accustomed to, but it's mainly as high as it is because of a rough first month of the season. Since the calendar turned to May, Clase has been his usual unhittable self, allowing just three earned runs in 24 innings pitched (1.13 ERA) across 24 appearances. He's converted 13 of his 14 save opportunities in that stretch.
To put it simply, he's still one of the best relievers in the game. Sure, the Cleveland Guardians haven't had a great season thus far, but even with their 40-46 record, they're only 5.0 games back of the third Wild Card spot thanks to a very subpar American League. They might still decide to sell at the trade deadline, but does that mean they'll trade Clase?
Clase is under control through the 2028 campaign on extremely team-friendly terms thanks to a pair of club options in the final two years of his current deal. The Guardians have Cade Smith on their roster, who is more than capable of filling in for Clase as their closer, and it'd make a lot of sense to sell high on arguably the best reliever in the game, but how likely is it that a Guardians organization that is almost always competitive will trade one of its best players with several years of club control?
It's always possible. The Guardians will certainly listen. Barring a massive overpay, though, it feels unlikely.
Phillies must make a trade deadline splash
Clase might be a tad unrealistic for the Phillies, but whether it's him or not, Dombrowski must make a trade deadline splash. Again, the Phillies must make a big push this season.
Not only do they currently lead the NL East, but who knows how many good years this team has left? Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper, their three best hitters, are all 32 years old. Schwarber is also a free agent after the year, with no hint that an extension is coming. Zack Wheeler is 35 years old and has made it clear that he's eyeing retirement in the next couple of years. Guys like J.T. Realmuto and even Aaron Nola are regressing. There are some building blocks, but this team is really built to win right now.
It's never ideal to trade high-end prospects, but the Phillies should be strongly considering doing that. Dombrowski is known for doing just that with several teams, but he, for whatever reason, has shied away from doing so in Philadelphia. Whether it's for Clase, a different reliever, an outfielder, or even all of the above, the Phillies must do whatever they can to win right now. With an older and expensive core running out of time, this might be their best and final chance to finish what they started in 2022.