Phillies Linked to Superstar Closer Once Again

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The Philadelphia Phillies still have some time left to add some addition pieces that will help their pursuit of a World Series championship before the new season begins.

Dave Dombrowski has shown the offseason isn’t over for them until it’s officially over.

Three of the star players on their roster were added in March during their free agencies.

There’s still time if they want to do something.

Bullpen is likely the place that Dombrowski and his front office would be looking to upgrade if they decide to pursue the available options.

Despite how his tenure ended in the playoffs, Craig Kimbrel was an important piece for the team in 2023 and losing him means there is a role on the back end that needs to be filled.

That’s probably why Philadelphia continues to be seen as a team who could put together a trade package that lands superstar closer Emmanuel Clase from the Cleveland Guardians.

“Philly should be in the Clase sweepstakes for obvious reasons. Things did not go great at the back end of games with the since-departed Craig Kimbrel, and there is no clear replacement in sight,” writes Brandon Scott of Bleacher Report.

That comes on the heels of another writer for Bleacher Report saying the Phillies should be considered a top suitor for the star pitcher.

However, the trade package that Scott put together is even more asinine than what the other package was.

Not only does Scott have Philadelphia shipping out their two best hitting prospects, Justin Crawford and Aidan Miller, but they’d also be sending their star outfielder Johan Rojas too.

There is just no way this is a remotely serious trade package.

Clase is a great reliever, but sending out three young position players for a singular player is irresponsible.

A package that has either Carlos De La Cruz or Gabriel Rincones Jr. paired with Andrew Painter, the Phillies’ No. 1 prospect who will miss all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery, would be something more reasonable.

Still, it’s very unlikely that Philadelphia would be interested in putting together any sort of trade package to get Clase onto the roster, no matter how good he is.