Ideal Phillies bullpen target just became available after being non-tendered

Ahead of Friday night's non-tender deadline, many teams around Major League Baseball cut ties with arbitration-eligible players, allowing them to become free agents.

The Philadelphia Phillies non-tendered trade deadline acquisition Austin Hays, but either reached agreements with or tendered contracts to seven other arbitration-eligible players.

In a somewhat surprising move, a National League East division rival non-tendered a relief pitcher to whom the Phillies had ties to at the 2024 trade deadline. Given the fact that the Phillies are searching for some bullpen help this offseason, this move could be something that the front office could jump on quickly.

Recently non-tendered closer Kyle Finnegan is an ideal Phillies bullpen target

The Washington Nationals opted not to offer a contract to closer Kyle Finnegan ahead of Friday's non-tender deadline. The former Nationals right-hander could be a prime candidate for the Phillies to target this winter.

Finnegan has been a solid bullpen piece since debuting for the Nationals in 2020. He has never had an ERA above 4.00 in his five years in MLB. He has been reliable as well, having appeared in at least 65 games in each season dating back to 2021.

The 2013 sixth-round pick found his niche as a closer in the 2023 campaign recording 28 saves. Arguably, Finnegan is coming off of his best season. He made his first All-Star team and recorded an impressive 38 saves in 43 opportunities in 2024. His save total for the year was good enough for third in the league in the reliever stat category.

Recording 38 saves for a team that won just 71 games is an impressive accomplishment. Finnegan would be an automatic upgrade to the Phillies' bullpen. At 33 years old, it would be best to offer him a one- or two-year deal should the club find themselves interested.

Spotrac calculates Finnegan's market value at about $12.5 million per year. If he can replicate what he did last year, then he will certainly be worth that money as any team's closer in 2025. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and newly promoted general manager Preston Mattingly could hammer out a deal for two years at around $25 million for Finnegan.

It's an interesting scenario that Finnegan can be had as a free agent now. Other top closers rumored to be on the market, such as Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers and Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals, would only be acquired via trade. The Phillies have the opportunity to fill a need without giving up any prospect capital.

Since almost every team around baseball is searching for pitching help, the Phillies will not be alone in kicking the tires on Finnegan's market. However, they would be wise to consider him as he could be an ideal fit for this club's bullpen heading into 2025.

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