Philadelphia Phillies fans are wondering what team president Dave Dombrowski is going to do with the trade deadline quickly approaching. Their lineup appears to be just fine, and their starting rotation has been their bright spot. But one area of need the team desperately needs to address is the bullpen.
The Phillies watched their closer Jose Alvarado get suspended 80-games by the league for testing positive for external testosterone. The bullpen as a whole hasn't performed, as they hold a 4.20 ERA, which is ninth-highest in the majors. The team did bring in some help in the form of David Robertson on a one-year, $6 million deal. But, they could still use some reinforcements.
The Phillies lost out on another potential reunion on Friday. Philadelphia watched as the rival New York Mets acquired left-handed reliever Gregory Soto from the Baltimore Orioles.
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Phillies watch rival Mets acquire former reliever Gregory Soto
For the Mets, all it took was for them to give up No. 19 prospect Wellington Aracena and unranked prospect Cameron Foster for Soto. One of the Mets' main needs ahead of the trade deadline is the bullpen, which has struggled as of late after a strong start to the season. Now, they have a left-handed arm that they can have in front of closer Edwin Diaz.
Soto is having a solid year for the Orioles. Through 45 games, Soto recorded a 3.96 ERA, a 1.294 WHIP, 44 strikeouts, 18 walks, and 18 holds in 36.1 innings.
For the Phillies, they are in a tight battle with the Mets for the NL East lead, and New York just got better. Not to mention, they took a relief pitcher off the board for the Phillies. It will be interesting to see how Soto performs with the Mets. Plus, there could be a moment where Soto helps the Mets get a head-to-head win over the Phillies, whether it's the regular season or the playoffs.