Should Phillies pursue Blake Treinen and Kirby Yates?

1 of 2

As the Phillies look to rebuild their bullpen, Blake Treinen and Kirby Yates are two free-agents who could be worth signing.

As the Philadelphia Phillies look to make much-needed improvements to their bullpen, a couple of intriguing free-agent options are Blake Treinen and Kirby Yates. The two right-handed relievers both have closer experience, but have also dealt with recent injuries. They have the potential to provide a one-two punch for the Phillies late in a game, but are they worth the risk?

Treinen’s standout season came in 2018 with the Oakland Athletics, when he posted a 0.78 ERA, 0.834 WHIP, 100 strikeouts and 38 saves in 68 relief appearances, while getting an All-Star nod, finishing sixth place in Cy Young voting, and finishing 15th place in MVP voting.

The right-hander carried his success into the start of 2019, recording a 0.68 ERA and six saves through his first 11 games before injuries became an issue. While Treinen did not miss too much time, a combination of elbow, shoulder, and back injuries likely played a factor in his overall 4.91 ERA and 1.619 WHIP on the year.

Treinen signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers entering the shortened 2020 season, where he started with a 3-1 record and 1.20 ERA through his first 15 games, before slumping in September, with a 0-2 record and 7.59 ERA in 12 appearances.

Overall, he looked good in the postseason, pitching 3 1/3 scoreless innings through the first two rounds, before an up-and-down NLCS. He pitched really well in two of his three World Series games, with two strikeouts in a clean inning during Game 3 and picking up the save in Game 5, where he gave up a hit but struck out two in an inning pitched.

If 2020 is any indication, Treinen’s poor health and performance from 2019 could be behind him. He finished the year with a 3.86 ERA and 1.208 WHIP and has the potential to continue moving in the right direction next season.

Kirby Yates #39 of the San Diego Padres (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

Potential Phillies free-agent target: Kirby Yates

Kirby Yates’ standout season came in 2019 with the San Diego Padres, where he posted a 1.19 ERA, 0.890 WHIP, 101 strikeouts and MLB-best 41 saves in 60 relief appearances, while getting an All-Star nod and finishing ninth place in Cy Young voting.

The right-hander’s first four major league seasons were unimpressive overall, with a 4.78 ERA in 160 games, all out of the bullpen. The fourth of those seasons, in 2017, saw him join the Padres in late April, where he was claimed off of waivers. He appeared to turn things around with the team, recording a 2.14 ERA and 0.921 WHIP in 2018.

His stellar 2019 campaign saw a streak of eight straight saves, 31 games with multiple strikeouts, only two home runs allowed and only eight games with an earned run surrendered, numbers that are similar to Treinen in 2018.

Yates started this past season with two strikeouts in a clean inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks, before struggling in his next two outings, giving up a combined four runs off of five hits and four walks in 1 1/3 innings against the Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.

The reliever reportedly identified “mechanical adjustments,” which seemed to help in his next two games. Yates gave up a solo home run but struck out the other three batters, while recording a save, against the Dodgers. He gave up a hit but got the save in his next inning of relief, against the Diamondbacks, before his season came to an abrupt end.

After sitting out for a week with soreness, Yates was pulled from a game after only six pitches, leaving with a trainer. What turned out to be bone chips in his right elbow sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

While it’s hard to predict what the Phillies would get from Yates, we’ve seen pitchers come back from injury before. Both Yates and Treinen are risky options because of their recent injury concerns and it’s possible that their standout campaigns were one-hit wonders.

Still, both relievers looked good in other years and would be considered noticeable improvements over the Phillies’ familiar bullpen options from recent seasons. With the potential to provide a one-two punch — late in games or take turns in the closer role — both Treinen and Yates would be worth pursuing.

More. Six former Phillies eligible for 2021 Hall of Fame honors. light

Home / Phillies News

As the Phillies look to rebuild their bullpen, Blake Treinen and Kirby Yates are two free-agents who could be worth signing.

Potential Phillies free-agent target: Kirby Yates

Schedule