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Phillies Trade Idea Lands Padres' $35 Million Closer

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Conor Liguori | Last updated May 12, 2025 5:17 PM ET

After the Philadelphia Phillies signed closer Jordan Romano during the offseason, it seemed the club had found its top ninth-inning option.

However, the former Toronto Blue Jay is struggling more than any other Phillies' pitcher this season, with a poor 49 ERA+ and 14 earned runs allowed in 14.1 innings.

A contender like the Phillies needs better than that in save situations, potentially leading to the front office exploring the trade market for a closing pitcher at the deadline.

Last week, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller listed eight surprise Major League Baseball players that could be dealt at this year's deadline, and San Diego Padres closer Robert Suarez, a 2024 All-Star, was one of them.

"If the season ended today, there's about a 1000 percent chance Robert Suarez would opt out of the remaining two years of his contract," Miller wrote last Tuesday. "The 34-year-old All-Star would be liable to fetch something on par with the four-year, $72 million deal Tanner Scott got this past offseason."

While Miller did not specifically list the Phillies as a potential landing spot for Suarez, Newsweek's Drew VonScio believes Philadelphia should consider the opportunity.

"The Phillies have seen success from Jose Alvarado, Joe Ross, Matt Strahm, and Tanner Banks," VonScio wrote last Friday. "However, the Jordan Romano experiment has been a disaster. Philadelphia would be an ideal location for Suarez, who could form a 1-2 punch with Alvarado in the eighth and ninth innings."

Suarez has become one of the best relievers in baseball over the last few seasons. The flamethrower has been nails in the ninth inning for the Padres, recording an MLB-high 15 saves in 18 games this season.

His 0.51 ERA would lead MLB, but he's only thrown 17.2 innings this season and does not qualify. To qualify for individual category leadership in earned run average, a pitcher must throw at least one inning per his team's games played.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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