The Philadelphia Phillies are one of the top teams in baseball, but there’s one glaring need. After losing two high-leverage relievers in free agency, Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez, the Phillies took a chance on former Toronto Blue Jays two-time All-Star closer Jordan Romano on a one-year deal.
Romano missed most of the 2024 season with an elbow injury, and he had less than an ideal start to his Phillies career. The right-hander allowed six hits, four walks, seven earned runs and hit a batter through his first five appearances in 2025.
After a disastrous outing on April 19 against the Miami Marlins in which he allowed six hits and six earned runs in 2/3 innings, it seemed as though Romano had figured things out. The 32-year-old tossed nine consecutive scoreless appearances before he allowed three runs against the Athletics on May 23.
Romano has been a streaky reliever for the Phillies, but he’s not the lone problem in the bullpen. Entering Friday, the Phillies’ bullpen owns the sixth-worst ERA (4.56), eighth-worst WHIP (1.38) and opposing offenses are hitting .260 against them, tied for the sixth-highest in the majors. The team will be without José Alvarado for the majority of the season, who is serving an 80-game suspension with playoff ineligibility.
The Phillies must address the bullpen as the July 31 trade deadline approaches.
Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman looks like perfect Phillies’ trade deadline target
The Boston Red Sox have lost seven of the last 10 games and sit 9.5 games back of the New York Yankees in the AL East. Alternatively, the Red Sox are just four games out of a Wild Card spot, but if they slip any further down the standings, they could be sellers at the deadline.
A name to watch if the Red Sox fall out of contention is long-time closer Aroldis Chapman. MLB insider Bob Nightengale recently said that scouts have already begun to keep an eye on Chapman and his availability as the trade deadline nears.
Chapman is having an All-Star worthy season since signing with the Red Sox on a one-year, $10.75 million deal in the offseason. The left-hander owns a 1.80 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 27 appearances this season. He has nine saves in 10 opportunities.
Chapman has been one of the best closers of his generation. The 37-year-old is a seven-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion. He’s best known for his overpowering fastball that reaches triple digits and a nasty sinker.
Most impressively, Chapman has sustained his success for a long time. He owns a 2.60 ERA throughout his 16-year career, with 14.66 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. His 344 saves are the third most among active closers and rank 15th all-time.
The Phillies must monitor this situation closely and shouldn’t be afraid of pulling the trigger on a trade if Chapman is made available. He may be old, but Chapman could be the missing piece to a World Series in 2025.