Marlins-Phillies Trade Proposal Ships Lights Out Reliever to Philadelphia

While Sandy Alcantara and Jesus Sanchez are probably the biggest Miami Marlins name that will be involved in trade speculation leading up to the MLB trade deadline, the Marlins also have some unheralded pieces that could genuinely help contenders.

A great example is relief pitcher Anthony Bender, who is enjoying a tremendous season and is still under team control through 2027.

Given the amount of trade value Bender currently has, it makes plenty of sense for Miami to move him now in order to recoup some assets for him, and the Philadelphia Phillies may represent the perfect landing spot for the 30-year-old.

The Phillies are in desperate need of a relief pitcher. They rank toward the bottom of baseball with a bullpen ERA of 4.52, thanks much in part to Jordan Romano's 7.40 ERA. Making matters worse is the fact that Jose Alvarado is suspended and won't even be eligible for the playoffs.

Philadelphia obviously has to make a move here, and it's important to remember that the Phillies acquired Jesus Luzardo in a trade with Miami over the winter, so the Marlins aren't necessarily shy about trading with an NL East rival.

Bender boasts a 1.95 ERA this season, allowing just 17 hits while registering 22 strikeouts over 27.2 innings of work. His strikeout numbers are actually a bit down this year, as he averaged 10 punchouts per nine innings last year and owns a lifetime average if 9.4 K/9 in that department, but his stuff is still terrific, as evidenced by his average fastball velocity of 96.4 mph.

It would be surprising if Miami didn't move Bender given his age and the fact this value will probably never be higher than it is now, and given how much of a need Philadelphia has for bullpen arms, this seems like a match made in heaven.

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