Are the Philadelphia Phillies going to be power players on the relief pitching market at the trade deadline?
Probably more so than any other playoff contender, the Phillies need to find some new high-leverage options. Jordan Romano hasn't panned out as the team's closer in the slightest, and José Alvarado's current 80-game suspension also includes playoff ineligibility.
Fortunately, the Phillies have just under four weeks to revamp that struggling group with a trade addition or two. And one Phillies writer is calling for the team to bring in the big guns.
On Thursday, Lochlahn March of the Philadelphia Inquirer proposed a hypothetical blockbuster that would bring Baltimore Orioles closer Félix Bautista, also known as "The Mountain," to the Phillies.
In exchange, March pitched a three-player package of starting pitcher Mick Abel, right-handed pitcher Jean Cabrera, and infielder Aroon Escobar for the Phillies to send to Baltimore.
"Every GM in baseball knows the Phillies need a high-leverage bullpen arm. That means that they will not come cheap. And the price will be even higher for Bautista, who comes with two additional years of team control," March wrote.
Follow The Sporting News On WhatsApp
"It’s possible the Orioles won’t part with Bautista, hoping that they will be contenders again in 2026. But three of the Phillies’ top 12 prospects could be hard to resist. And if you’re the Phillies, this is the type of price you’ll have to pay on July 31 if you’re truly all-in."
Bautista got off to a bit of a slow start in his return from Tommy John surgery, but he's fully turned his season around. In 30 outings, his ERA sits at 2.73, and he's struck out 42 batters in only 29 2/3 innings.
The Phillies will have to make bold trades and part ways with significant prospect capital to make any deal of this magnitude come to fruition.
More MLB: Yankees trade pitch brings beloved Pirates two-time All-Star to New York