Phillies Gearing Up for Bullpen Arms Race with Rival Mets at MLB Trade Deadline

The Philadelphia Phillies look destined for a tight battle down the stretch against the New York Mets in pursuit of the National League East division championship.

With a strong lineup stocked with the usual suspects and a newly loaded starting rotation bolstered by the acquisition of Jesus Luzardo and the development of Cristopher Sanchez, the Phillies have one clear top need at the trade deadline.

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Outfield help would be great, but a key bullpen piece or two is an absolute must with the disappointment of Jordan Romano and the suspension of Jose Alvardo.

Factor in that the unit's observable performance is poor, ranked 24th in MLB in ERA as a unit, and Dave Dombrowski's objective is obvious.

The Phillies and Mets Could Be Bidding for the Same Relievers at the MLB Trade Deadline

The interesting wrinkle in this mix is the fact that the Mets also could look to add to their bullpen, despite the fact that they currently rank second in MLB in bullpen ERA.

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Writing in The Athletic (subscription required), former MLB executive and league insider Jim Bowden reported that the two powerhouses might have similar shopping lists in this pursuit.

"The Mets and Phillies look headed for an epic division race in the NL East, but between now and July 31 they’re also in a race to see which team can bolster its bullpen the best," Bowden wrote. "According to industry sources, both organizations are focused on high-leverage arms and will be chasing similar relievers."

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Bowden did not specify who those relievers would be, but it's not hard to look around the league and see who could fit in.

Kyle Finnegan in Washington and David Bednar in Pittsburgh would both make for interesting fits in Philadelphia, but the highest end would mean looking at Ryan Helsley from the St. Louis Cardinals, Pete Fairbanks from the Tampa Bay Rays or even Felix Bautista from the Baltimore Orioles.

Fairbanks has extensive postseason experience from his contributions to the 2020 World Series run, and when healthy, Bautista has arguably been the most dominant closer in the sport over the past three years.

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Helsley owns a 3.75 ERA this season, but his overwhelming velocity makes him an enticing player.

Top relievers don't necessarily command the most expensive prospect hauls in late July, but both Philadelphia and New York have enticing prospects, and if the bidding war gets high and both teams feel like these players make the difference over the other, those young pieces could be on the move.

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