The Philadelphia Phillies look like a championship contender once again, but they need to secure the National League East first. The New York Mets are going to make it tough, and the Phillies may need some reinforcements.
The Phillies' bullpen and outfield could be an area of focus for Dave Dombrowski. The team lost José Alvarado to a PED suspension. He will be ineligible for the postseason. Jordan Romano has struggled in the closer's role, and Matt Strahm is not pitching like the All-Star he was last season. A shutdown closer could be the key to the Phillies making a run.
In the outfield, Nick Castellanos is the only player with an OPS+ over 100. They have not gotten any elite production from Brandon Marsh or Max Kepler. The Phillies could try to get an upgrade in the outfield to replace Kepler in left field.
The team should be able to land a closer and an outfielder at the deadline, but the question will be how significant an upgrade they can get. ESPN's Jeff Passan suggested a trade that brings Emmanuel Clase and Steven Kwan from the Cleveland Guardians to Philadelphia.
"As long as the Phillies are aiming high -- and nobody aims high quite like Dave Dombrowski -- perhaps they could take a run at landing both Clase and Steven Kwan from Cleveland," wrote Passan. "Maybe it would take Andrew Painter. Maybe Aidan Miller. Maybe Justin Crawford. Regardless, the Phillies' window is closing, and getting both club control (Clase is under contract through 2028 and Kwan through 2027) and cost certainty (Clase is due $26 million for the next three years and Kwan less than $20 million for two) would make dealing high-end prospects significantly more palatable."
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Clase is a three-time All-Star and two-time Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award winner. He had a 0.61 ERA and 47 saves last year. This year, he has a 3.12 ERA and 19 saves, but he would still be an upgrade for the Phillies at closer. Kwan was an All-Star last year and has won three Gold Glove Awards. He is slashing .292/.350/.408 and would be a massive upgrade from Kepler in left field.
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