Phillies: 3 trades to bolster the bullpen

Where else can the Phillies turn to help their bullpen in 2020?

One of the Philadelphia Phillies biggest weaknesses during the 2018/2019 seasons was their bullpen. Via a combination of crippling injuries and lackluster development, the Phillies have had one of the worst ‘pens in the entire National League.

After not signing a single reliever this offseason, it appears the only way the Phillies can upgrade their bullpen at this point is through a trade.

Here are three players the Phillies should explore trading for to fix their bullpen.

Kyle Crick, Pittsburgh Pirates

When you look up the term “bounce-back candidate”, a picture of Kyle Crick likely comes up.

Crick entered the league in 2017 with the San Francisco Giants, and instantly began making an impact within the organization. At just 25 years old at the time, Crick pitched in 30 games while recording an ERA of 3.06. He allowed just two home runs all year and struck out 28 batters in total.

The hard throwing righty was then traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates following the conclusion of the 2017 season, where he continued to develop as a potential elite reliever. In 64 games with the Pirates he posted a 2.39 ERA, a 1.127 WHIP, and a SO/BB rate of 2.83. He also only allowed 3 home runs  while striking out 65 batters.

Crick had a rough year in 2019 to say the least. The Pirates were notably not contenders and it became clear that frustrations were starting to boil over in the Pittsburgh clubhouse. Crick’s season came to a close in September after requiring surgery on his hand which he injured in a clubhouse fight.

Crick posted career lows pretty much across the board in 2019 with a 4.96 ERA, 1.551 WHIP, and a total of 7 recorded losses. His poor performances combined with the clubhouse issues make him a prime target for an easy trade.

The one aspect of Crick’s game which remained intact in 2019 was his ability to “miss bats”. He struck out 61 batters and actually posted a career best K/9 rate of 11.2. Primarily utilizing a 96mph fastball which likes to move a little bit, Crick has shown in three consecutive seasons that he has the ability to consistently strikeout batters.

Above all else, the biggest reason Crick should be appealing to the Phillies front office is because of his contract. John Middleton appears to be hard-pressed to stay under the luxury tax threshold this year, and Crick is due to make a measly $581,500 in 2020.

Mychal Givens, Baltimore Orioles

A name that was heavily linked to the Phillies at last year’s trade deadline, Matt Klentak and the rest of the front office will likely be interested in Mychal Givens again this year.

Through five years and 284 games of work, Givens has been one of the more consistent relievers in a brutally tough division. He posts a career ERA of 3.40, a career WHIP of 1.142, and has recorded 75+ strikeouts in each of his last four seasons. Givens relies heavily on his four-seam fastball which tops off at 96mph, while also mixing in some off speed stuff with a slider and a changeup.

Similar to that of Crick, Givens had a rough 2019 which in part will lower his trade value for 2020. He recorded an ERA in the mid-fours while allowing a career worst 13 home runs. Despite his struggles with the long ball in 2019, Givens actually excelled when it came to keeping people off of base via the strikeout. His 12.3 K/9 rate would have ranked first among all Phillies pitchers last year, while his 1.190 WHIP is also nothing to scoff at.

As mentioned previously, Givens plays in one of the most grueling divisions in all of baseball. He has to face off against the Yankees and Red Sox multiple times a year, both are loaded with sluggers and both play in hitter-friendly ballparks. Despite it seeming like Givens is beginning to regress as a pitcher, the notion that he could return to his old form by coming to the NL East is very much legitimate.

Givens turns 30 this year and will be a free agent in 2022. The time for Baltimore to cash in is now. At a salary of just $3.225 million for 2020, this stays in line with the Phillies goal of remaining under the luxury tax.