What ‘complicates’ Phillies’ Emmanuel Clase trade pursuit

The Cleveland Guardians are hovering around the .500 mark. It remains to be seen if they will trade star closer Emmanuel Clase. If the Guardians decide to trade Clase, the Philadelphia Phillies could pursue a deal for the closer. Jeff Passan of ESPN recently revealed a possible complication in the event that the Phillies do try to trade for Clase, though.

Passan, in a recent article, mentioned that Philadelphia features an impressive farm system full of promising prospects. The ESPN insider is not convinced that the Phillies would be willing to surrender top prospects given their current situation.

“Still, with the Phillies entering a transition phase over the next few years, they aren’t likely to sacrifice all of their depth,” Passan wrote. “That complicates their tack at this deadline, because they are among the few teams with the need and capacity to acquire a pitcher of Clase’s talent. Same goes for Cade Smith, another Guardian, and the Twins’ two frontline relievers, Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax.”

Clase being linked to Philadelphia certainly makes sense. The common assumption in the MLB world is that the Phillies feature enough prospect capital to get the job done. The primary complication had been the Guardians’ willingness to trade Clase. Now, it appears there is more to the situation.

The Phillies will likely continue to be linked to Clase until the trade deadline. A deal would not necessarily shock anyone in the MLB world. However, the chances of a trade coming to fruition still seem to be rather slim.

The Phillies currently lead the National League East with a 58-43 record. The 58-44 New York Mets trail Philadelphia by just a half-game in the standings, though. Adding an impactful reliever such as Emmanuel Clase could prove to be the difference in the division.

Philadelphia will have a difficult decision to make.