5 Free-agent pitchers who could be the Phillies’ closer in 2022

2. Craig Kimbrel

The Chicago White Sox picked up Craig Kimbrel’s 2022 option, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be back on the south side next season. He’s been on the Phillies’ minds for a while now, and with his past with Dombrowski, many thought Kimbrel would end up in Philly at the trade deadline this season.

Instead, the Chicago Cubs simply sent Kimbrel across town to the White Sox, who promptly put baby in a corner. His 0.49 ERA over 39 games before the trade ballooned to 5.09 over 24 games with his new team. It’s really not hard to see why: the White Sox acquired a closer and then didn’t use him as a closer because they actually needed a set-up man and decided to put a square peg in a round hole, fit be damned.

The White Sox already had a dominant closer in Liam Hendriks, who closed 58 of his 69 games and led the American League with a career-best 38 saves, so Kimbrel only closed eight games for the Sox compared to his 35 for the Cubs. In his career, he has a 2.01 ERA over 546 ninth-inning appearances; he has a 3.21 ERA over 65 eighth-inning spots.

Playing to a player’s strengths is essential to individual and collective success. The Phillies need a closer, and Kimbrel is one. Sounds like a match.

3. Raisel Iglesias

Dombrowski did make a general statement earlier this month that he’d prefer not to give up a draft pick, but Raisel Iglesias is absolutely worth forfeiting a second-round pick if the Phillies can entice him away from his qualifying offer with the Angels.

For the second full 162-game season in a row, Iglesias led the American League in games finished, with a career-high 59; he also matched his career-high 34 saves. He posted a 2.57 ERA over 65 appearances and struck out 103 batters over 70 innings.

In terms of contract and pick forfeit, Iglesias won’t come cheap, but he’s worth it.

4. Mark Melancon

Mark Melancon feels like an unlikely fit for the Phillies, who already signed too many veteran free agents last offseason. Melancon will be 37 in 2022, and has pitched for eight MLB teams in his 13-year career, including 2/5 of the NL East.

However, Melancon did lead the entirety of MLB with 39 saves this season, his most since 2016. He posted a 2.23 ERA over 64 games with the Padres, including 53 games finished. While Melancon’s hit and strikeout rates improved over his 2020 numbers, his home run and walk rates each took a hit this year,

5. Josh Hader

The Milwaukee Brewers are reportedly prepared to deal Josh Hader, who won’t become a free agent until 2024. He posted a career-best 1.23 ERA over 60 games, including 42 games finished and 34 saves.

Over the last two full seasons, the 27-year-old has finished 88 games and earned 71 saves. In the shortened 2020 season, he led the NL with 13 saves.

A sticking point with the three-time NL Reliever of the Year is that the reason the Brewers are considering parting ways is that he essentially declared he’d only pitch one inning per appearance. The results from this decision are dazzling, but it hurt the bullpen when fellow bullpen arm Devin Williams broke his hand at the end of the year.

Acquiring Hader would require a huge (and viable) prospect haul, something the Phillies really don’t have. So unless the Brewers are looking for quantity over quality, Hader feels out of their reach.