Philadelphia Phillies: RHP Blake Treinen a prime two-year candidate?

The Philadelphia Phillies could use a guy like Blake Treinen.

Catching up on some MLB Network Friday morning, the channel’s group of panelists did a bit on which current free agent reliever is the most deserving of a two-year contract. They were picking between Blake Treinen, Shane Greene, Archie Bradley, and Anthony Bass. The player that they universally decided on? Reigning World Series champion Treinen, a player that the Philadelphia Phillies were heavily linked to during last year’s offseason.

A seven-year veteran, Treinen has had a very productive career as a major league reliever. He has 72 saves across 372 appearances, and boasts a career ERA of 3.02. His best season came in 2018 with the Oakland Athletics, where he recorded a 0.81 ERA across 80.1 innings, earning his first All-Star game nod.

The LA Dodgers scooped up the veteran right-hander on a one-year deal last winter in hopes that he would solidly their bullpen for a potential World Series run – and he did just that. Treinen finished the year with a 3.86 ERA, and didn’t allow a run during his NLWC and NLDS appearances.

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When it comes to the Philadelphia Phillies pretty much anyone would be an upgrade to their league-worst bullpen, however, Treinen in particular looks like a guy who could stabilize things for Philly. Not only is he a proven player coming off a successful World Series win, but he also fits the bill in terms of what Joe Girardi tends to prioritize out of his high-leverage arms.

In 2020, Girardi made a point of leaning on “veteran experience” when it came to late-inning outings. He repeatedly tried to make Brandon Workman work (no pun intended) out as the team’s closer, and guys like David Phelps and Heath Hembree routinely saw important innings as well.

Fans got frustrated with this philosophy, calling for the likes of JoJo Romero and Connor Brogdon instead. While clearly Workman wasn’t the answer at closer, there was some legitimacy to Girardi not wanting to turn the reigns over to the young guns. Romero increasingly got worse and worse as the regular season progressed, really highlighting the need for a legit, veteran bullpen arm.

Outside of Treinen just being a solid relief arm, his past experience as an effective closer would allow Girardi to move Hector Neris out of the closer position entirely. The recently re-signed right-hander has long been a controversial figure amongst Philadelphia Phillies fans, with the general consensus being that he’s better fitted for a 7th/8th inning role. His analytic numbers always look decent, but his inability to keep his composure in save situations is borderline impossible to ignore.

By signing Treinen, Neris could slide into the team’s set-up role. A likely better fit for the 31 year old reliever.

Treinen turns 33 in June, so there’s reason to pause when it comes to handing over a massive two-year deal. However, the Phillies can’t get too picky here. They need bullpen help, and they need it now. Inking Treinen to a two-year deal, with the second year being a club-option, seems like it would be a win-win scenario for both sides.