Philadelphia Phillies: 3 closer candidates to trade for
By Tim Boyle
Corey Knebel is out as the closer of the Philadelphia Phillies. Rob Thomson has opted for a closer-by-committee while the bullpen figures things out.
Knebel came into the season as a questionable option for the ninth inning. His lone year as a reliable closer was in 2017 before injuries and a weaker performance stole away a lot of the credibility he had built up for a brief time with the Milwaukee Brewers.
As the Phillies move forward, they could be in the market to trade for another closer. Fortunately, there are some good ones out there.
1. Philadelphia Phillies closer trade candidate: David Bednar is everyone’s favorite choice.
David Bednar has become everyone’s favorite closer to get traded this summer. The ninth-inning man for the Pittsburgh Pirates this year, he is off to an amazing start out in Western Pennsylvania. His second year with the Pirates has been even better than the first with a firmly cemented spot in the closer’s role.
Unfortunately, all of the run-prevention and clean saves he has for Pittsburgh this year isn’t going to be nearly enough to get them to the postseason. They aren’t heading anywhere near the postseason and Bednar has become one of, if not the, best trade candidates on their roster.
Bednar would cost the Phillies a lot in terms of prospects because of the massive market for him. He’s the kind of guy a team trades for now and milks the success out from all year long. He’s only 27 which makes him a nice buy for more than just a single season. However, this just increases the asking price Pittsburgh should have for him.
The odds aren’t in favor of the Phillies acquiring Bednar from the Pirates. These other closer candidates might be a little more attainable.