Getty Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase is drawing trade interest after leading MLB in saves in 2023
Toward the tail end of what has been a relatively quiet offseason for the Philadelphia Phillies, the team has been connected to several marquee free agents and trade targets, including Cody Bellinger, Kenley Jansen and Devin Williams.
Howard Eskin, a host for SportsRadio 94WIP, has revealed that the team also checked in with the Cleveland Guardians on a potential trade for one of the best closers in the game.
The Phillies “have spoken to Cleveland concerning Emmanuel Clase,” Eskin said. “But here is the issue: One of the players that Cleveland wants is (Justin) Crawford… Crawford is the key in that whole thing.”
Eskin added that he’s confident the Phillies are “going to get another pitcher” and that they could possibly add a starter in addition to a reliever. But he underscored that the Phillies would be unwilling to part with Crawford to obtain Clase.
“The Phillies are not giving him up,” Eskin said.
Emmanuel Clase Could Solve the Philadelphia Phillies’ Biggest Roster Problem
Several analysts have highlighted the fit between Clase and the Phillies, projecting trades that have involved Crawford along with several other young players.
After reaching the World Series in 2022 and the National League Championship Series in 2023, Philadelphia has seemed to be just a closer away from winning it all. And the team has not decisively addressed that need this offseason, even after losing former closer Craig Kimbrel to the Baltimore Orioles.
“The Phillies … for the most part, they have not really addressed the main reason why it was the (Arizona) Diamondbacks and not themselves who advanced to the World Series last year, and that’s their bullpen,” Jon Morosi said in an appearance on MLB Network.
Clase would address that shortcoming in a major way. In his age-25 season last year he pitched for an MLB-leading 44 saves, finishing 65 games and logging 64 strikeouts with a 3.22 ERA. And he’s on a relatively team-friendly contract after signing a five-year, $20 million contract with the Guardians in 2022.
“Philly should be in the Clase sweepstakes for obvious reasons,” Brandon Scott noted for Bleacher Report. “Things did not go great at the back end of games with the since-departed Craig Kimbrel, and there is no clear replacement in sight.”
The Philadelphia Phillies Are Balking at an Asking Price of Justin Crawford
While the Phillies seem to need some bullpen help, parting with Crawford might do more harm than good. He was their third-ranked prospect in 2023 and a top-100 prospect in all of MLB for 2024. And even more important for the Phillies might be the fact that he is the top-ranked player in their farm system who isn’t a pitcher.
Crawford, the son of MLB star Carl Crawford, is touted for a plus arm, plus hitting ability and plus-plus speed. He could very well be the team’s long-term answer in center field one day soon, which is a position they have struggled to fill with an All-Star caliber player for some time.
Ultimately, the Guardians and Phillies might reach some other agreement over Clase. If not, it seems the Phillies could look elsewhere to find an upgrade at closer.
“While a trade for a back-end reliever could still be in the cards, it would never be at this price,” Jake Huber wrote for Phillies blog That Ball’s Outta Here.