The Philadelphia Phillies own the best record in the NL. They have done it through excellent starting pitching and timely hitting. Since Jose Alvarado’s 80-game suspension a week ago, it has become obvious that this team's weak spot is their bullpen. It is time for them to get ahead of the market and acquire an arm or two to take the pressure off of Matt Strahm and Jordan Romano.
Carlos Hernandez, Jose Ruiz, and Orion Kerkering have proven they are not good enough to be a part of a bullpen that has championship aspirations. Instead of waiting for the market to be set, the Philadelphia Phillies need to jump the gun and get ahead of their competition.
While the Phillies do not have the deepest prospect pool, they have an everyday MLB center fielder who could be the focal point of a trade to sure up their bullpen: Johan Rojas. He has elite speed and tremendous defense, but his bat has not developed like the Phillies have needed. Add in the resurgence of Brandon Marsh since his IL stint, and Johan Rojas is currently the odd man out.
The Targets: Kyle Finnegan, Nationals closer. Kyle Finnegan has been excellent this year, he is second in the NL in saves with 15 and owns a 2.41 ERA. While currently on the IL with shoulder fatigue, imaging showed nothing major, and he is expected back soon and considered day-to-day.
A Johan Rojas for Kyle Finnegan swap may be too rich for the Philadelphia Phillies currently, but if the Phillies could manage to get Finnegan and Cole Henry for Johan Rojas, it would instantly give them a contender's bullpen.
Mason Miller, Sacramento Athletics closer. This is the blockbuster deal. Mason Miller has been on Philadelphia Phillies fans' radar for well over a calendar month now. He throws 102 with a wipeout slider and has shown the ability to get anyone out in the 9th.
The problem is that Johan Rojas is not nearly enough to entice the Athletics into moving their All-Star closer. Miller is the arm worth adding prospects to get. A Johan Rojas, Justin Crawford, and another mid-level prospect package could be what it takes to get the deal done. Even with the expensive price to pay, this is a no-brainer for the Philadelphia Phillies. The duo of Jordan Romano and Mason Miller would be the exact shutdown tandem the Philadelphia Phillies have been missing in the past.
While the Phillies will miss Johan Rojas’s excellent defense, he is not going to be the difference-maker they need in October. The last few postseasons have shown that elite bullpens are needed to go deep in the MLB playoffs. This Philadelphia Phillies team is good enough to compete with the best teams in the league; they just need a boost in the backend to ensure they don’t have another October bust.