Philadelphia Phillies: Handful of elite closers still available in free agency

The Philadelphia Phillies need an elite closer.

The Philadelphia Phillies need to upgrade their bullpen this offseason – this isn’t breaking news. The team had the second-worst bullpen ERA in the history of baseball last season, and the teams inability to hold a lead late in ballgames was the primary reason they weren’t able to crack the postseason. It was a painful season to watch from a fan’s perspective, filled with blown save after blown save.

The Phillies haven’t done much to address their bullpen yet (outside of clearing out some of the dead weight), but the general consensus is that Dave Dombrowski will at least bring in one relief arm this offseason. The future Hall of Fame executive has long prioritized the bullpen, and he’s obviously entering an organization that hasn’t had a single clue in terms of building a playoff-caliber ‘pen the last couple of years.

In what should be viewed as a somewhat favorable development for the Phillies, the league’s free agency period hasn’t really heated up quite yet. Guys like James McCann and Trevor May have landed in New York, but for the most part, free agency has been quiet. A handful of elite closers are still free to be signed, and that should ultimately play to the Phillies’ advantage.

Names like Liam Hendricks, Kirby Yates, Alex Colome, Brad Hand, and Trevor Rosenthal are all still free agents at the moment. In terms of what the Philadelphia Phillies should be targeting this offseason, every single one of these arms would slot in as the team’s number one reliever – by a considerable margin. Landing one of these guys would allow the team to move Hector Neris into a setup role, and would help Joe Girardi feel more comfortable in his late game decisions (something he wasn’t able to do in 2020).

Outside of the before mentioned “high caliber” arms, there’s also a good chunk of more cost efficient closers that the Phillies could target. Free agents like Keone Kela, Archie Bradley, Mark Melancon, and Sean Doolittle all immediately jump out – and once again, all of these names would immediately enter Philly as the team’s best reliever.

All of these relievers are obviously free to be signed at the moment, but the hard truth is that the Phillies’ role in signing one of them will ultimately come down to $$$. With revenue crashing down around the league, teams are proving to be less than enthusiastic when it comes to adding free agents. The New York Mets – spearheaded by a hungry new owner – were quick to pounce on some of their targets, but for the most part teams around the league are holding onto their cash.

Like the rest of the MLB, the Philadelphia Phillies have shown a lack of desire to spend this winter. With that said, Dombrowski was brought into the organization to win playoff games, and he loves himself a lockdown closer. If the Phillies are serious about competing in the near future, pouncing on one of these available arms would make an abundance of sense.