Phillies rumor: Club interested in FA closer Jake McGee
The Phillies could use another veteran reliever and Jake McGee could be their guy
Phillies hot stove rumors are beginning to pick up with the winter meetings just a couple of weeks away. Amongst the free agent and Giancarlo Stanton trade rumors the Phillies are in the market for veteran pitching.
While the starting rotation garners much of the fanbase’s attention the bullpen is just as important to the team’s success going forward.
Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports the Phillies are interested in 31-year-old reliever Jake McGee. A former teammate of manager Gabe Kapler McGee pitched his last two seasons with the Colorado Rockies. An offseason trade prior to the 2016 season involving All-Star outfielder Corey Dickerson ended McGee’s six years in Tampa Bay, the first of which was with Kapler as a teammate.
In nine appearances at Citizens Bank Park McGee has a 2.16 ERA with one home run allowed.
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Signing McGee would give Philadelphia a formidable veteran in the backend of their bullpen once filled by Pat Neshek and Joaquin Benoit. After trading both Neshek and Benoit last summer Philadelphia’s bullpen leaned heavily on Hector Neris, Luis Garcia, and Edubray Ramos.
Philadelphia’s relievers lost 34 games last season and compiled a 4.18 ERA in 550.2 innings, but they found bright spots with Adam Morgan as a lefty specialist and Mark Leiter Jr. as a long-reliever.
Garcia is the only reliever on the entire major league staff in his 30’s with Morgan and Neris close behind. Adding McGee would give Philadelphia not only a quality arm and a veteran presence, but a potential trade chip at the trade deadline.
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Considering the haul Klentak acquired for Neshek last year spending a little money on McGee could pay off down the road. McGee is coming off a $5.9 million salary season with Colorado, so Klentak could potentially offer a similar deal to convince him to pitch for a rebuilding club for half a season.