As Trade Season Starts, The Phillies Will Shop For A Closer

It’s nearly trading season. And this go-around, it’s a guarantee the Phillies will be a busy participant in trade talks leading up to the July 31 trade deadline. And also a guarantee: The Phils will be looking to upgrade its weakest unit — the bullpen.

The buzzy name already attached to Philly is Tampa Bay closer Pete Fairbanks. ESPN baseball insider Jeff Passan calls Fairbanks “the best fit” for Philadelphia, saying: “Maybe it’s Fairbanks. Maybe it’s [Washington’s Kyle] Finnegan. Maybe it’s both. Or even more.”

Fairbanks, who has 10 saves and a 2.05 ERA and who’s better option than anyone the Phillies currently have, is a proven late-inning weapon, tallying 68 saves since 2023. He does it with a power heater and also wields one of the nastiest pitches in baseball: a 95-mph changeup. (Not a typo, that’s a 95-mph changeup). Take a gander at the Ninja-worthy pitch:

As Passan notes, with Jose Alvarado gone for 80 games and out for the postseason after a PED suspension, the need for relief help “is that much more grave” in Philly. Yes, it’s only June 3 and the Phillies’ bullpen already looks zonked, with a collective ERA of 4.65, the third-worst in the National League. Current closer Jordan Romano, who has improved after a nightmarish start to his Phillies career, still gives queasy vibes, and neither Matt Strahm (3.70 ERA) nor Orion Kerkering (3.18 ERA) look like lockdown guys.

So it will be Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski’s mid-summer gig to find a swing-and-miss reliever (or two or three) that his team desperately needs. It’s been a looming priority after Philadelphia’s bullpen blitzed its postseason run last year. And if Dombrowski looks to trade from a surplus — which is starting pitching — he has a pretty good trade chip in Phillies rookie Mick Abel, who has reestablished his prospect pedigree with a sensational 2025 at Triple-A.

Abel also aced his big-league debut with six shutout innings against the Pirates in a spot start on May 18. And on Sunday, the Phillies recalled the kid and inserted him into the rotation as Aaron Nola gets healthy from an ankle ailment. So, if Abel pitches well during his extended audition, it’s a solid bet he’ll be included in a deadline deal for a closer.

In addition to Fairbanks and Finnegan, other potential trade targets include Baltimore’s Félix Bautista, Boston’s Aroldis Chapman and the Angels’ Kenley Jansen. Phillies fans have clamored for A’s closer Mason Miller since last year’s trade deadline but the A’s are unlikely to deal the low-salaried reliever; plus, Miller is having a down season (5.49 ERA). But no matter who it is, Dombrowski and staff will be busy looking for a new lights-out closer before July 31.