Guardians Stars Named Best Match for Phillies at MLB Trade Deadline

During a disappointing start to their West Coast road trip against the San Francisco Giants, some of the flaws of the Philadelphia Phillies were on full display.

The Phillies have been very good in 2025, but consistency has been an issue.

Over the course of a long season, losing streaks and bad stretches will happen to even the best of teams, but a lot of Philadelphia’s problems are issues that were prevalent last year as well.

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This offseason, the Phillies focused on improving a couple of areas that plagued them in the playoffs; outfield and the bullpen.

So far, the additions of Max Kepler and Jordan Romano haven’t panned out, and help in these areas are still a significant need for Philadelphia.

If the team wants to truly be a contender, improvements have to be made.

Jeff Passan of ESPN recently wrote about the best match for the Phillies at the trade deadline being Cleveland Guardians stars Emmanuel Clase and Steven Kwan.

“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.”

Despite being in the American League Championship Series just last year, it has been a disappointing campaign for the Guardians.

Coming into the season, this was a team that still figured to be in the playoff conversation, but they quite frankly aren’t close.

Even though they are just one year removed from a playoff run, it might be time to reset in Cleveland, and they could get a haul if they moved Clase and Kwan.

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With both being under team control for multiple seasons, the cost for a potential deal that includes him and Kwan would be significant. However, the Phillies have a strong farm system with some high-end prospects that could land them.

Due to the team having championship aspirations and a need to solve multiple issues, the two stars of the Guardians make a lot of sense for them to pursue.

Even though Philadelphia has been a good team in the regular season, a strong bullpen is needed in October to be successful. With Jose Alvarado being ineligible to pitch due to his suspension, a lockdown closer like Clase is a must.

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Furthermore, Kwan could be an excellent table-setter for the offense to help lengthen a lineup that could use some real depth.

Overall, while it might be a bit far-fetched to get both players, they do make a good match for the Phillies.

For more Phillies news, head over to Phillies On SI.