Top Philadelphia Phillies exec Dave Dombrowski is expected to have a busy offseason. Despite making the playoffs this past season, the club still needs several key players. Signing a corner outfielder, specifically a right-handed slugger, is likely Philadelphia’s top priority. Nevertheless, the Phillies also need a versatile utility man and at least one starting pitcher.
The bullpen is also a potential area of concern for the club. Free agency, however, may not be the place to address the situation. The Athletic’s Matt Gelb is reporting that Phillies reliever Jonathan Bowlan has “generated regular interest” from other teams. While the beat writer claims that the Phillies rate the veteran, they could use him as trade bait to help land a bigger fish.
Milwaukee Brewers star Trevor Megill is this kind of target. As the reporter points out, the Philadelphia Phillies have proven to acquire relievers in the trade market under their current regime. “Dombrowski is often big-game hunting when he builds bullpens; if the Milwaukee Brewers entertain trade offers for closer Trevor Megill, who has one year of club control remaining, they could be a match,” claims Gelb.
Megill became an All-Star closer for the Brewers in 2025. He most recently recorded an impressive 2.63 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 30 saves this past season. He was even better in the postseason, allowing just two earned runs in nine innings of work as the Brewers won their first World Series title. It is safe to say that the Philadelphia Phillies could use a player like this in their bullpen.
Philadelphia Phillies One of Several MLB Teams Likely to Target Trevor Megill
The biggest question in this situation is why would the Brewers want to trade their star relief pitcher? USA Today’s Bob Nightengale recently addressed this question in his latest column. According to the MLB insider, Milwaukee may not want to pay their closer when he becomes a free agent after the 2027 season. In fact, the reporter suggests that the star will “likely be moved before opening day.”
“The Brewers now have a history of trading away their closers a year from free agency, sending All-Star Josh Hader to San Diego in 2022 and Devin Williams to the Yankees in 2024,” writes Nightengale. “Megill has saved 30 games each of the past two seasons, but the Brewers also have Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby who certainly have the talent to be premier closers.”
Nightengale also suggests that the Philadelphia Phillies “badly want to shake things up” this winter. In doing so, Dombrowski will look to spend significant money and also make multiple players available in the trade market. Bowlan could be used in a significant deal, but Brandon Marsh and Trea Turner are also being shopped.
Philadelphia Will Face Competition in Chase for Star Pitcher
The Philadelphia Phillies, however, are not the only team set to register interest in Megill. In fact, the Toronto Blue Jays have already been linked to the All-Star reliever. The two teams are almost certainly not alone.
Dombrowski does not exactly have an advantage in the Megill situation with a high-profile prospect pool. MLB.com even recently rated the Phillies farm system as the 26th-best in the league. As a result, Philadelphia will likely look to use established players in the trade market.
Phillies Linked to Trading Veteran Pitcher for All-Star Reliever