That Balls Outta Here
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Phillies: Low Cost Closing Pitchers in Free Agency

By Joe Piazza

Jul 3, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Santiago Casilla (46) pitches during the eleventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The Giants won 5-4 in 11 innings. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 3, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Santiago Casilla (46) pitches during the eleventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The Giants won 5-4 in 11 innings. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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Koji Uehara (Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports) /

Koji Uehara, Boston Red Sox

Here is a reliever with an excellent track record that the Phillies could score for very a reasonable price. Koji Uehara is 41 years old, and his performance dipped last season, which means he won’t be as expensive as some of his peers. His 3.45 ERA last season was his highest since his debut season, but he still carries a lifetime 2.53 lifetime mark across 437.2 major league innings. Uehara wasn’t a closer in 2016, but he is 93-for-108 for his career in save situations.

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Any 41 year-old pitcher comes with injury risks, and Uehara is no different. He missed two months of last season to a pectoral strain, but looks like a reasonable bounce-back candidate despite his age. Uehara still strikes out a ton of batters (12.06 K/9 last season), and has pretty decent playoff numbers too. While the playoffs aren’t relevant to the Phillies right now, his postseason record makes him all the more appealing to contenders when it’s time to make trades.

Estimated Offer – 1 year/$8 million

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