The Philadelphia Phillies are a threat to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the World Series title this season, but they’re going to need to make a few additions to their roster in order to be a real contender.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today recently revealed the Phillies were concerned with one of their top relief arms this season. This kind of concern could cause them to desperately chase a trade for a new high-leverage arm.

“The Phillies have become concerned with closer Jordan Romano, who averaged 96.8 mph on his fastball two years ago, but now is down to about 92-94 mph and struggling holding on runners,” Nightengale wrote. “This helps explain why the Blue Jays non-tendered him last winter before the Phillies signed him to a one-year, $8.5 million contract.”

Read more at: https://www.bellinghamherald.com/sports/article304152226.html#storylink=cpy

If the Phillies aren’t comfortable with Romano as a high-leverage right-handed reliever, they could look to swing a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals to acquire flame-throwing closer Ryan Helsley.

Helsley is in the final year of his contract. Spotrac projects the star to sign for $81 million when he lands in free agency next winter, and the Cardinals would almost certainly not pay that to re-sign him.

Philadelphia let Carlos Estévez and Jeff Hoffman walk in free agency and didn’t adequately replace either of them. Trading for Helsley would replace this pair of righties with an even better high-leverage arm.

It would likely be very expensive for the Phillies to pull off, but it could turn out to be well worth it.