Guardians Star Closer Named Potential Fit For Phillies at MLB Trade Deadline

With the second half of the season about to start for the Philadelphia Phillies, the month of July is going to be a critical one for the franchise.

Despite being in first place in the National League East, the margin is very slim for the Phillies, and there are reasons to be concerned about the outlook of the team.

Fortunately, an amazing starting rotation has covered up a lot of problems thus far for Philadelphia. With multiple All-Star caliber pitchers, the unit has been thriving, even with Aaron Nola on the injured list.

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In the lineup, there have been some strong performances from Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber, but the rest of the unit has been inconsistent. With Bryce Harper recently coming off the injured list, the hope will be that he can help improve the unit. However, some additional help at the trade deadline would be welcomed.

Once again, the biggest need for Philadelphia this summer will be in the bullpen. The decision to sign Jordan Romano hasn’t worked out thus far, and if they want to win a World Series, they need a lockdown closer.

Writers from The Athletic (subscription required) recently wrote about Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase as a potential fit for the Phillies at the trade deadline, with the closer potentially being a long-term solution to the back end of the bullpen.

“Clase is signed through 2026 with $10-million club options in ’27 and ’28. He’s been an institution in Cleveland, but a low-spending team like the Guardians might have to cash in while they’re having a sub-.500 season.”

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Due to the surprising struggles of the Guardians in 2025, they are likely going to be sellers at the trade deadline. However, while they might want to move some assets in order to get some prospects back in return, whether or not they would be willing to move players with multiple years left is a different story.

For Clase, he is one of the best closers in all of baseball, and Cleveland would be able to get quite the haul for him.

Since the Guardians don’t have a ton of money, moving a valuable asset like their closer could help them reset a little bit with some fresh new prospects in the system.

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A potential deal with Philadelphia would warrant some of their best names in the system, and they might be willing to part ways with them to get an elite closer with multiple years left on his contract at an affordable number.

The closer spot has been an issue for the Phillies for the last several campaigns, but the addition of Clase would solve it.

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