The last time the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series, they had a lights-out closer in Brad Lidge. In 2008, he had a perfect season, going 41-of-41 in the regular season and 7-of-7 in the postseason.
Is that what they need to bring a World Series title to Philadelphia again? A perfect season is rare, of course, but having a lockdown reliever may be the missing piece to their championship puzzle.
Luckily, they have a few options in 2025. Who ultimately claims this role and finds success in it remains to be seen. Let's examine their cases.
Jordan Romano
The Phillies signed Romano to a one-year, $8.5 million deal in December, but despite his previous experience, he was not promised the closer role.
The 31-year-old had a 2.90 ERA and 105 saves across six seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, including 285 strikeouts in 229.2 innings. Romano was a back-to-back All-Star in 2022 and 2023 and has the sixth-highest saves in baseball since his debut season in 2019.
Philadelphia told him that he’d be handling “high-leverage” situations in 2025, and depending on if the club retains Jeff Hoffman, he’ll likely be called upon quite frequently by manager Rob Thomson. Even if the Phillies choose to run another closer-by-committee situation in 2025, it wouldn’t be surprising if Romano were to save most of those games.
Orion Kerkering
Since making his MLB debut in September 2023, Kerkering has been considered the closer of the future in Philadelphia. The 23-year-old has already been thrown into countless high-leverage situations, even as a rookie. Thomson and the Phillies organization have a lot of trust in him.
Another story is whether they will hand the keys over to him as their full-time closer. He’s yet to record a save in his young career but has fulfilled a set-up role, recording 15 holds between 2023-24.
Kerkering recorded 74 strikeouts across 63 innings last season. He has the “stuff” to be an effective closer at the MLB level, with a sweeper, four-seamer and sinker making up his pitch arsenal. However, it’s a role he’d have to grow into.
Orion Kerkering, Filthy 85mph Sweeper. pic.twitter.com/gvfBxv51ef
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 3, 2024
Jose Alvarado
The days of Alvarado as the Phillies closer are likely over. After an excellent 2023 campaign that saw him post an ERA of 1.74 in 42 games, Alvarado regressed significantly in 2024. Despite a 4.09 ERA across 61.2 innings, he still led the team in saves with 13.
That said, he also appeared in 66 games, second only to Hoffman and tied with Matt Strahm for most relief appearances on the team. Alvarado also tossed 20 more innings than the previous season, so perhaps an increased workload affected him down the stretch.
Alvarado will turn 30 in May, and with the acquisition of Romano and Kerkering’s youth, the club may transition him back to a set-up role. After a rough first season in Philadelphia in 2021, Alvarado bounced back in 2022, achieving 22 holds.
Jeff Hoffman
Whether Hoffman can continue to save games for Philadelphia depends on whether he's still wearing a Phillies uniform in 2025. The breakout reliever has yet to be signed in free agency, but it would be unwise of Philly to let him walk.
Hoffman is seeking a contract similar to the one Clay Holmes received from the New York Mets. The 31-year-old has certainly earned it in his two seasons with the Phillies. He posted a 2.17 ERA and struck out 89 batters in 66.1 innings en route to his first All-Star appearance in 2024.
Should he return, it wouldn't be surprising to see Hoffman closing games for Philadelphia again. He had 10 saves for the team last season.
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With a week until the MLB trade deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to be aggressive. With needs in the bullpen and the outfield, there are plenty of ways to address the roster at the deadline. While the outfield market isn't great, the Phillies are, according to Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan, a Pittsburgh sports talk radio show, one of many teams looking to acquire the polarizing Pittsburgh Pirates star, Oneil Cruz. "Source: The Phillies are one of the teams that's trying to trade for Pirates CF Oniel Cruz." Fillipponi writes, "Philly has gotten terrible play in CF this year. And they are interested in seeing what Cruz could do in a lineup with Harper, Schwarber, and Turner. Good veteran influences. Stay tuned." While the Phillies' interest in Cruz doesn't come as a surprise, the language of this report from Fillipponi is noteworthy. Not only are the Phillies interested, but they're trying to trade for Cruz at the deadline. He would take over in center field for Brandon Marsh, and Marsh could then slide over to left field, replacing Max Kepler who has had his struggles this season. Adding a player like Cruz, who is 26 years old and is under team control through 2028, would cost a lot. However, the Phillies are reportedly willing to go all in this trade deadline and could part with some of their top prospects. Though if the Pirates ask for top prospect Andrew Painter, the Phillies won't budge. Every other prospect is on the table, including Aidan Miller and Mick Abel. Cruz, who hit a 513-foot home run in the 2025 Home Run Derby, is a highly sought-after player on the trade market. Even though Cruz is batting just .219 on the year, he will still draw plenty of intrigue from around the league. Part of what makes him so appealing is his power and speed. He's hit 16 home runs this season, which would be second on the Phillies, and has an MLB-leading 33 stolen bases. Cruz will cost a fortune, but according to this report, the Phillies are looking to land the polarizing Pirates' star center fielder at the trade deadline.
It’s wild how quickly the NBA narrative can flip. A year ago, Zion Williamson was in every trade rumor possible. People were questioning his health, his work ethic, even his future in New Orleans. And the Pelicans? They didn’t really deny any of it. It felt like both sides were one step away from walking. But things have shifted this offseason — quietly, but clearly. The Pelicans could’ve pulled the plug. Zion’s contract gave them outs, and the trade market might’ve still brought back some real value. Instead, they stuck with him. And based on what one of their own just said, they’re not just keeping him around — they’re still betting big on him. In a recent interview with Spotrac’s Keith Smith, an anonymous Pelicans executive made it crystal clear. “Zion is still our guy. We’re all in on him. We think he’s going to have a huge year. We’ve had some bad injury luck and some things that just haven’t worked out. This partnership hasn’t even come close to reaching our best yet.” That’s not something you say if you’re halfway in. They backed it up with their offseason moves, too. They traded CJ McCollum and brought in Jordan Poole, a high-usage creator who can take pressure off Zion. They drafted Jeremiah Fears with the No. 7 pick, a dynamic young guard. They added Kevon Looney, a reliable veteran who brings playoff experience and toughness. Those aren’t tear-it-down moves — those are “let’s try this another way” moves. Of course, Zion’s health is still the question. That never really goes away. He played just 30 games last season, but in those games he looked solid: 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night on 56.7 percent shooting. The explosiveness was there. The playmaking was sharp. And the hope for New Orleans is that this time, he can finally sustain it. What’s interesting is how the front office is trying to create a better environment around him. Joe Dumars has stepped in to lead basketball operations and is reportedly building a closer relationship with Zion — dinners, real conversations, not just surface-level stuff. It feels like, for once, the team is trying to meet him halfway. It’s a risk, sure. But it’s a calculated one. The West is brutal and the margin for error is thin. Still, if Zion can stay healthy for 60 games, and if Poole finds a rhythm and guys like Trey Murphy and Herb Jones keep improving — this team has a shot to be in the mix. The quote from the exec says it all. They could’ve hit reset, moved on, cleaned house. But they didn’t. They’re still in. And now it’s on Zion to hold up his end of the deal. After everything that’s happened, they’re telling the world they still believe. Now it’s time to find out if they’re right.
The Green Bay Packers have a logjam at wide receiver. Adding rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams to quarterback Jordan Love’s arsenal infuses a big-play element to head coach Matt LaFleur’s offense, while Mecole Hardman is a veteran presence at an otherwise young position group with untapped potential but limited big-game experience. As the 2025 regular season approaches, the Packers might be a popular phone call for general managers of teams aiming to bolster their receiving corps and upgrade the offense. Could Packers’ Romeo Doubs be a Top Trade Candidate? With training camp underway, Romeo Doubs sits atop the depth chart but could quickly be pushed by Golden for the top spot. In addition to Hardman, Golden, Williams, and Doubs, playmakers like Dontayvion Wicks and Jayden Reed will also be pushing for snaps and a consistent role in the passing game. According to Pro Football Focus NFL analyst Bradley Locker, the competition and infusion of talent at receiver could make Doubs one of the top trade candidates across the NFL. “Since being taken in the fourth round in 2022,” Locker writes for PFF. “Doubs has become a solid option for Green Bay. Last season, he turned in a 71.0 PFF receiving grade with 1.62 yards per route run. However, his drop rate has sat above 9% in two of his three seasons, and health has also been an issue, with Doubs logging less than 700 snaps in two of three campaigns. “Golden figures to be Jordan Love’s WR1, especially with Christian Watson sidelined yet again. Green Bay also added rookie Savion Williams to the mix, which suggests that the team wasn’t satisfied with its receiver play from a year ago. Will the Packers finally move on from one of Doubs, Jayden Reed or Dontayvion Wicks, each of whom has shown flashes but not developed in full? The most likely would figure to be Doubs, who is effectively playing on a one-year deal in 2025.” If Golden makes the immediate leap and flashes like a No. 1 wide receiver, GM Brian Gutekunst and the Packers could bit sitting on one of the most coveted receivers for contending teams aiming to fill a need. Doubs has caught 147 passes for 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns through his first three seasons as one of Love’s top targets. If he’s supplanted by Golden, his next catch may come from elsewhere.
According to numerous reporters, veteran Joe Flacco is truly competing only with 2022 first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett for the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback job this summer. In April, Pickett fired somewhat of a warning shot when he made it known his "plan" is to start for the 2025 Browns. On Thursday, Flacco addressed battling with Pickett for the QB1 gig. "I think we’re all aware of that and it’s not necessarily talked about between the two of us," Flacco said, as shared by Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "...In general, it’s kind of the wrong mindset to be in to be at your best. It’s natural for those things to come into your head, but you try to do your best to get ‘em out and just go out there and be with the guys and be in the moment." Flacco sparked some controversy in the spring when the 40-year-old suggested that he cared more about playing than about serving as a mentor for Pickett, 2025 third-round pick Dillon Gabriel and 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders. More recently, conflicting stories have emerged regarding whether Flacco or Pickett would start if Cleveland's Week 1 game were scheduled for July 27 rather than for Sept. 7. The Browns seem to want Gabriel and Sanders to open the campaign developing as backups. "But I really, second day at camp, I think the best thing for me is to just stay in the moment and come out here and have fun and compete and just do what I love to do," Flacco added. "I think that’s going to be the best way for me to show what I can do and all that stuff. So I think there’s a lot of self-motivation in order to be good in this league, and that’s always there. So I’m just going to continue to approach it like I always do." Flacco won four of five starts to guide the 2023 Browns to the playoffs and is the only active Cleveland quarterback who has ever taken an in-game snap while playing under head coach Kevin Stefanski. That said, some think people within the Browns "want" Pickett" to enter September as Cleveland's starter since he's only 27 years old. "I think that's what coaches are looking for; a guy that's consistent, that's the same guy every day that they can count on," Pickett said, per Karl Rasmussen of Sports Illustrated. "They can call any play; they know we'll get them out of a bad play. If the shot's called and it's not there, we'll check it down. Just good quarterback play that can help this team win games. Because that's what it's all about. We're all here to win." Also on Thursday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated noted that the Browns likely won't try to stash Gabriel or Sanders on the practice squad because "any team then would have the chance to add a quarterback on a rookie deal at no additional cost via the waiver wire." Thus, Cleveland may try to trade whoever loses the Flacco-versus-Pickett battle to a quarterback-needy team following the Browns' preseason finale versus the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 23.