It is not an exaggeration to say that the entire Phillies season may rest on their ability to acquire a legitimate closer before the July 31 MLB trade deadline. I know you may be thinking that not too many of their games have been blown in the 9th, but the continued reliance on guys like Jordan Romano emphasizes just how badly his role needs to be eliminated. A closer at the end of the game or for the big bats in the 8th MUST be addressed or this team is dead in the water come October. For once the Phillies have a deep farm system and some of the guys we may have been hoping to see in Philly one day will need to be moved. Who is out there? The following names are ranked in order of quality:
Emmanuel Clase – Guardians
UPDATE: As I was typing this, it came out that Guardians’ closer Emmanuel Clase has been suspended until at least August 31 while they investigate allegations of illegal sports betting. I don’t know if that means they think he was betting on games or fixing them, but either way he is a huge name off the list.
Jhoan Duran – Twins: The crown jewel of trade season is closing games in the Twin Cities. His 1.86 ERA is sterling as is his 1 HR allowed and 101mph fastball velocity. With only 2 blown saves, he is the tops on this list. His Baseball Savant page is ridiculous and shows how if he isn’t striking someone out, he’s probably going to get a ground ball. Just a great combination. Also, I won’t go into it for any of the others below, but Duran is the only guy on this list who has success against the Mets for some reason. He has 2 more years of control left after this one.
Mason Miller – Athletics: Phillies fans have been dreaming about Miller since right before the All-Star game last year. He is not going to get dealt unless it’s for an absolute haul, but because it is the A’s he is still in play despite 4 years of control left. He has given up almost as many walks as hits, but his WHIP is only around 1. He is probably not worth what it would take to get, but that absurd fastball would be a lot of fun in CBP.
Griffin Jax – Twins: Jax is not the closer in Minnesota and his topical stats don’t look great (4 ERA), but don’t let that fool you. Aside from 2 blow up games he has been disgusting. 70Ks in 48 appearances with only 4 HRs. His strikeout stuff is at the top of the league according to Baseball Savant. He has 2 more years of control remaining. One of the Twins guys has to get dealt, right?
David Bednar – Pirates: Bednar was awful last season but has rebounded to be the lights out closer he was back in 2023. He has only given up 2 HRs and has a 5:1 K:BB ratio. Pittsburgh has apparently kept the asking price super high because technically they don’t have to sell him this year due to one more year of control. He is going to move though. Pittsburgh isn’t a team in the business of not moving players and waiting until next year when they are possibly in a playoff hunt (their pitching is really good) is not going to fly.
Ryan Helsley – Cardinals: He is having a down season compared to the lofty standards he has set for himself over his career, but he is still really good. He has 21 saves but has blown 5. The velocity is still right around 100, which we are sorely missing at the moment. He has only given up 4 HRs. Helsley is in the final year of his contract, paying $8.2m this season.
Pete Fairbanks – Rays: Fairbanks has had an odd season. He has a 2.84 ERA with 17 saves, but has only given up runs 7 times in 39 appearances. 5 of those 7 though were for 2 runs. He has a club option for $7m next season. He is a huge dude at 6’6″ and 235 pounds which is extra intimidating paired with his 98 mph fastball.
Camilo Doval – Giants: The Giants were just swept at home by the Mets which is incredibly infuriating. If they sell, they have a few relievers who could be on the block. Doval is a total wild card who looks nasty at times but then loses his mind randomly. Despite this, he has only given up 2 HRs this season. 24 walks though. He still has 2 years of arbitration after this season.
Carlos Estevez – Royals: I know, last season didn’t end in the best way, but he is having a great year. He signed a 2/$22.2m deal with the Royals, but with Clase and possibly Bautista out of the mix, the Royals are in a good position to get a solid asset for nothing. He has 27 saves already with a 2.62 ERA while giving up only 4 HRs. 4 blown saves, most recently to the Mets, is not exactly a positive though.
Kenley Jansen – Angels: You laugh! Jansen is going to be 38 come playoff time, but he is quietly having another Jansen-y season with a 3.11 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and only 6 HRs in 41 appearances. I wouldn’t be thrilled by this move, but considering his $10m salary as a rental he would not cost very much. Since the start of June he has only given up earned runs twice in 22 appearances
Felix Bautista? – Orioles: Bautista should not be last on this list, but he is currently on the IL with a shoulder injury. If it were a blister or a toe injury, something like that I don’t think it would affect his trade value considering his 2.60 ERA and gaudy strike out totals (50 in 34 innings) but closers and shoulder injuries are a huge red flag. Not as bad as an elbow, but it will probably take him off the block.
We need one of these guys desperately!
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, Baseball Savant, and ESPN
Philly Front Office 
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