Phillies Reportedly Prioritizing Bullpen Help

The Philadelphia Phillies are prioritizing bullpen help, according to a post from Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Gelb made this post in response to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic about high asking prices for relief pitchers. Rosenthal noted the plethora of relief pitchers with additional team control who are available. The asking price for rental relief pitchers is obviously lower. However, across the board, based on the last few trade deadlines, trade costs for high-leverage relief pitchers have increased. The Phillies tried to mitigate this by signing David Robertson to try to improve their bullpen. Signing Robertson probably means the Phillies trade for one relief pitcher instead of two.

Phillies Prioritizing Bullpen Need Per Report

Trade Candidates For This Position

There are multiple controllable relief pitchers available on the trade market. Both Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitchers David Bednar and Dennis Santana, who the Phillies are reportedly interested in, are under team control through next season. Bednar has a 2-5 record with a 2.19 ERA and 16 saves in 41 games this season. Additionally, Bednar has not allowed an earned run since May 23. Santana has a 3-2 record with a 1.42 ERA and five saves in 44 games this season. This season, Santana has not had a month with an ERA of 2.00 or worse. Based on past trade deadline history and reports, the Phillies are likely to end up trading for Bednar or Santana.

If the Phillies elect to make a larger move, Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Cade Smith becomes an option. Smith is under team control through the 2029 season. The Minnesota Twins duo of Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax also fits into this category. Duran is under team control through the 2027 season. Jax is under team control through the 2027 season as well. Trading for any of those four players will probably cost the Phillies a fortune. Additionally, the Guardians and Twins will need to be wowed to seriously considering moving them based on what Rosenthal wrote.

Potential Additional Moves If An Adjusted Strategy Is Needed

While Gelb reports the Phillies are prioritizing the bullpen, the team has been connected to multiple position players. The club is viewed as a top suitor for Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Eugenio Suárez. It remains to be seen where Suárez will be traded to, but the Phillies are an option. The Diamondbacks asking price for Suárez is going to be significant in all likelihood. This could end up being a pivot move if the Phillies feel the trade cost for relief pitchers is too high. This scenario playing out would likely see the team acquire St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley, who is a free agent after the 2025 season.

Another name to watch is Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr., who has team options for 2026 and 2027. This season, Robert has a .204/.293/.339 line with 10 home runs and 41 RBI in 85 games this season. Phillies pitcher Tanner Banks, a former teammate of Robert, recently told Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer that a change of scenery could benefit Robert. It is also worth mentioning that the Phillies have been mentioned as a possible trade destination for Robert the last three seasons, and nothing has materialized yet. That also means the White Sox have considered trading Robert since 2023 and have not done so.