MLB Trade Deadline Showdown: Which Blockbuster Moves Will Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, and Astros Risk to Dominate the Season?
External additions have already begun with the midseason free-agent pickup of 40-year-old David Robertson, who was quietly excellent for Texas last year and is expected to join the Phillies’ bullpen in the coming weeks. There is also the intriguing possibility of Philadelphia fast-tracking the team’s first-round draft pick, right-hander Gage Wood from Arkansas, whose hellacious raw stuff is as big-league-ready as that of any arm in the class.
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More realistically, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will act with urgency in the coming days and strike a deal for a reliever (or two or three) to give manager Rob Thomson the late-game weapons to navigate the stretch run and beyond. The Phillies’ farm system has improved a fair bit over the past year, but it’s still unclear if they have the prospect firepower to land a premium closer. That said, Dombrowski might be more willing than other teams to stretch for high-end relievers, which could help him land the guys he wants. Any of the aforementioned closers (Clase, Duran, Helsley, Bautista), plus Tampa Bay’s Pete Fairbanks, or effective setup men Griffin Jax from Minnesota or Phil Maton from St. Louis would make sense.
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