The Phillies still need help in their bullpen.
The Philadelphia Phillies made a key move on Sunday in an attempt to bolster their bullpen. They reunited with veteran reliever David Robertson, giving him a one-year contract worth $5.5 million.
However, Robertson is going to need time to ramp up, which means Philadelphia still needs bullpen help. This will have to be done via trade.
Jordan Romano hasn't panned out as their closer, and while Jose Alvarado will return from an 80-game PED suspension, he will be ineligible to pitch in the postseason.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic listed a few closers that the Phillies could target in the coming days leading up to the trade deadline. Among them was Baltimore Orioles former All-Star Felix Bautista.
"They could go big, trying to land Emmanuel Clase of the Guardians or Félix Bautista of the Orioles, or look to make a smaller deal for a late-inning reliever such as the Nationals’ Kyle Finnegan or the Pirates’ Dennis Santana. The Phillies could be close to being a World Series team, and filling those two needs might put them over the top," Bowden wrote.
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Bautista missed all of 2024 due to injuries after putting together an All-Star campaign in 2023. He also was the American League Reliever of the Year that season.
But he has returned to form this year. He is 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA in 35 appearances and has recorded 19 saves.
Bautista is not a free agent until 2028, which means his value is incredibly high at the moment. The Phillies will have to give up some key prospects in order to make this potential deal work.
But to have a few years of Bautista at the back end of their bullpen, it might be worth it to part with top prospects. The Orioles are already a clear seller, so it won't be long before they start dealing players away.
We'll see if the Phillies can get a deal done.
More MLB: Phillies predicted to acquire Guardians' three-time All-Star at trade deadline
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