The Philadelphia Phillies are on the hunt for relief pitching ahead of the MLB trade deadline and are targeting a rival’s top reliever.
The Phillies recently lost Brad Keller to a torn UCL, as he is out for the season. That leaves a gaping hole in the team’s bullpen, as Keller was a setup man ahead of dominant Phillies closer Jhoan Duran.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is therefore combing over the trade market ahead of the deadline for bullpen help, and he may call his rivals in the New York Mets‘ front office to see if one of their top relief pitchers is available in a trade.
Phillies Linked to Luke Weaver
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Phillies are hopeful to acquire a new setup man at the trade deadline and are very interested in acquiring Luke Weaver of the Mets.
“The Phillies, who already were seeking a right-handed hitting outfielder, now are in desperate need of a setup man with veteran Brad Keller out for the year with a torn UCL in his right elbow. They would love to acquire Mets reliever Luke Weaver, but the price tag may be high,” Nightengale wrote.
Weaver is in his first year with the Mets after signing a two-year, $22 million contract as a free agent after leaving the New York Yankees. He has been terrific for the Mets, pitching to a 2.03 ERA with a 1.6 bWAR in 38 appearances for the Mets this season.
He is also cost-controlled, as he is under contract for this season at $9.5 million and next year at $12.5 million, which is a fair number given how well he has been pitching this season.
Phillies Are a World Series Contender
The Phillies have a 55-44 record at the moment, placing them in second place in the National League East and second in the NL Wild Card hunt. Given how poorly they started the season, it’s been an incredible turnaround for Philadelphia under interim manager Don Mattingly as the team looks like it could be a serious contender to win the World Series this year if they keep winning.
With the Phillies having a strong surge in recent months, look for Dombrowski to be a buyer at this year’s MLB trade deadline. As Nightengale said, a setup man to replace Keller is the team’s biggest need, but they would also love to add another bat in the outfield.
Phillies ‘Would Love’ to Trade for Stud Mets Reliever: Insider