There's one obvious need the Philadelphia Phillies can't ignore at this year's trade deadline: the bullpen.
After former closer José Alvarado was suspended for 80 games (and the postseason), the Phillies were left with a huge void in high-leverage spots. Jordan Romano, the other projected closer option before the season began, has been mostly a disappointment, though he's been a bit better of late.
Romano, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, and some others can all be contributing pieces. But for this Phillies team to reach its ceiling, trading for a true closer at the deadline would be the ideal course of action.
Fortunately, one baseball insider recently linked Philadelphia to a big name.
Earlier this week, Yahoo Sports' Russell Dorsey named the Phillies as a fit for the Cleveland Guardians' Emmanuel Clase, a three-time All-Star who is pitching better of late after an uncharacteristically rough start to the year.
"Clase appears to be putting his struggles behind him. Over his past 15 outings, he has a 1.88 ERA with seven saves and has looked more like the two-time AL Reliever of the Year," Dorsey wrote.
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"If Clase’s struggles are indeed in the past, this could be the perfect time for a contender to woo the Guardians into trading their longtime closer. Potential landing spots: Yankees, Phillies, Cubs."
Clase can throw a 101-mile-per-hour cutter, which is really all one needs to say about what he brings to the table. The Phillies would have him under club control through at least 2026, with team options for 2027-2028.
Of course, this would also require Cleveland to trade its star closer in the middle of the season. But the Guardians are usually willing to move on from players when their value is at a high point, so it's definitely possible.
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