The Philadelphia Phillies approach the trade deadline in a tricky position. On the surface, this is a first-place team with a long track record of postseason success, including a recent World Series appearance. Bryce Harper always elevates his play in October. This team has what it takes. And yet, there are also clear points of weakness: primarily in the bullpen and the outfield.
President Dave Dombrowski has spent his last couple trade deadlines playing it safe, addressing areas of need but only taking half-measures in order to preserve prospect capital and financial flexibility. Last summer, it was Austin Hays and Carlos Estévez. This summer... what?
Hopefully something a bit more substantial. That is the word on the street these days. Dombrowski appears to recognize the rapidly closing window of opportunity with this roster. Kyle Schwarber is a free agent in a few months. JT Realmuto is on the decline. It's only a matter of time until Harper and Trea Turner join him. So yeah, the Phillies need to act aggressively.
The top focus right now is adding another bullpen arm (or several) to beef up the late-relief crew. Orion Kerkering has settled in nicely as the closer, but with Matt Strahm fading and Jordan Romano a permanent resident on the struggle bus, Philly could use another lights-out arm. That said, the Phillies still need to be smart about it. There's a fine line between boldness and recklessness.
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Dream Phillies trade targets might cost them too much, now and in the future
Two big names connected, at least hypothetically, to Philadelphia are A's righty Mason Miller and Guardians righty Emmanuel Clase. Both would take over closing duties and give the Phils a proven late-innings star with elite swing-and-miss material. Both are young and controllable, too, something the Phillies will value with so much on their plate in 2025-26 free agency.
There's not really a baseball argument against Miller or Clase. We can quibble over which option is "better" — Miller is a few years younger with the meanest stuff, but Clase is a bit more stable and has more postseason experience under his belt — but both would meaningfully improve an inexcusably feeble Phillies bullpen.
That said, there is an argument over cost. Not financially, but in terms of assets. The fact that Clase and Miller are both in their mid-20s with multiple years of team control left is going to jack up the price. Philadelphia would need to unload top prospects to get either of 'em, with names like Mick Abel, Aroon Escobar and Justin Crawford coming to mind. Hell, we can't even rule out Aidan Miller coming up in conversations.
Philadelphia needs bullpen arms as much as any contender in baseball, but Dombrowski cannot conflate being aggressive with digging himself a hole. He knows a thing or two about going all-in, but Dombrowski instincts might get the better of him if he's not careful. Especially when the Phillies still need help in the outfield and further depth in the bullpen. Selling the farm for Miller or Clase might prevent the Phillies from improving elsewhere.
Phillies need to be smart about Mason Miller, Emmanuel Clase pursuits
There comes a point where a line in the sand is necessary. Andrew Painter, for example, is off limits. Even if you believe Miller can transition into a starter next season, Painter offers a more refined and expansive arsenal of pitches, whereas Miller is reliant on his fastball-slider combo and wins with raw power, rather than finesse.
Even Aidan Miller feels like a breaking point in negotiations. Especially when there are so many relievers expected to hit the market. Philadelphia can be aggressive without settling for a middling option like last summer. Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax in Minnesota, both connected to the Phillies, are cheaper. And not much worse. It seems like Aroldis Chapman is off the board, but Félix Bautista in Baltimore? David Bednar in Pittsburgh? Raisel Igelsias in Atlanta? All these dudes are available, none are remotely close to the price point of a Miller or Clase. All have transformative potential.
This is not to say the Phillies should avoid Clase and Miller, two ideal solutions to their bullpen woes. They just need to tread carefully and avoid mortgaging the future on a single reliever, especially when other needs still exist in the present.