The Philadelphia Phillies bullpen is on limited time to turn things around before roster moves are made.
Through seven appearances, newly signed closer Jordan Romano has been lit up more than a Christmas tree — a 10.80 ERA to be exact.
José Alvarado, Matt Strahm and Tanner Banks are the only three trustworthy relievers at this point.
Alvarado hasn’t been the most consistent from season to season either, which is why Matthew Sullivan from Athlon Sports believes the Phillies should acquire $62 million closer Jhoan Durán. “After the departure of Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez, the Phillies needed another right-handed reliever,” wrote Sullivan. “Jordan Romano was supposed to be the replacement, but he’s gotten off to a terrible start in Philadelphia. Adding Durán to the bullpen would bring in another right-handed reliever, and one who could be the Phillies closer in 2025.”
Sullivan didn’t lay out exactly what the trade package would look like, but he noted the Twins would receive “multiple top 30 prospects.” Durán has two years of team control remaining after this season, so the Phillies would have to cough up a considerable amount as a result.
Given how much team control Durán would have at the time of the trade, it’s safe to say the Twins would start the negotiations with Justin Crawford or Moisés
Chace. The Phillies would likely send two prospects in the top 15 followed by one in the 21-30 range depending upon the construction of the trade package.
Through 4 1/3 innings entering Saturday’s games, Durán holds a 2.08 ERA with four strikeouts and three walks.
“It’s a massive shakeup for the Twins and Phillies, as both teams are heading in different directions,” wrote Sullivan.