The Philadelphia Phillies limped into the All-Star break with a 5-5 record over their last 10 games and dropped a series to the San Diego Padres to wrap up the first half. Despite that, they hold a 55-41 record and maintain a narrow half-game lead in the National League East, with under three weeks left until the trade deadline.
To shift from being playoff hopefuls to legitimate World Series contenders, the Phillies have some key areas to address—starting with the bullpen. They currently sit 23rd in MLB with a bullpen ERA of 4.38 and rank 26th in strikeouts with just 292. What’s helped them stay afloat is a starting rotation that consistently pitches deep into games, allowing the bullpen to log the fewest innings of any team so far.
However, that advantage isn’t guaranteed to last. Injuries are always a risk, and in the playoffs, starters are usually pulled earlier. The Phillies must be better equipped to close out games, which is why strengthening the bullpen should be their top priority ahead of the trade deadline.
The Phillies overpay for Emmanuel Clase
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is expected to take an aggressive approach at this year’s trade deadline. According to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, Dombrowski is prepared to trade top prospects over the next few weeks in pursuit of a “win-now” strategy.
Gelb specifically noted that Dombrowski is targeting “controllable big leaguers,” with a focus on acquiring a dominant, late-inning reliever.
One name that fits the bill is Emmanuel Clase. The Guardians closer was nearly untouchable last season, posting a 0.61 ERA with 47 saves and finishing third in Cy Young voting. While he’s been less dominant this year, he’s still putting up solid numbers (2.91 ERA, 20 saves), and has been exceptional lately—allowing just one earned run in his last 13.2 innings.
Cleveland enters the second half at 46-49, technically in the playoff hunt but needing to leapfrog five teams to claim a Wild Card spot. With that uphill battle and Clase under team control through at least 2026 (and possibly through 2028 via two club options), the Guardians could decide to sell, making Clase a valuable trade chip.
So, what would it take to bring Clase to Philadelphia? It won’t be cheap, but the Phillies are in a position to make a strong offer thanks to their deep farm system, ranked fourth-best in MLB by USA Today ahead of the 2025 Draft. They also have several prospects nearing MLB readiness.
A possible trade proposal could look like this:
Guardians receive: OF Justin Crawford (Phillies’ No. 3 prospect) and C Caleb Ricketts (No. 29)
Phillies receive: RHP Emmanuel Clase
Crawford is the centerpiece of this deal. Ranked among MLB.com’s Top 100 prospects, the outfielder is excelling in Triple-A with a .331 average and .839 OPS over 73 games. His performance has even sparked speculation he might be called up soon, especially with the Phillies’ current outfield struggles.
Still, the Phillies would have more talent to offer if needed. Three of their Top 100 prospects are already in Triple-A, giving Dombrowski ample flexibility to upgrade the roster ahead of the July 31 deadline.
