After a lot of speculation about a potential reunion with old friend Jeff Hoffman, the Philadelphia Phillies weren't able to seal the deal at the trade deadline buzzer. Instead, the Minnesota Twins acquired the former All-Star, finally acquiring the replacement for Jhoan Duran that they've been needing since last summer.
For what it's worth, the Phillies did address their bullpen needs earlier in the day, acquiring southpaw Brooks Raley in a trade with the New York Mets. They also got strikeout artist Caleb Kilian as part of the Luis Arraez trade. Both should tackle valuable innings down the stretch.
Still, it hurts to miss out on Hoffman, who was a dominant relief force during his two years in Philly (2.28 ERA over 122 appearances). He's also been excellent this year, recording a 2.49 FIP and 34.9% strikeout rate, and would have made for a perfect replacement for Brad Keller, who is out for the rest of the year following elbow surgery.
Instead, the onus will fall on Raley, Duran, and others to hold down the fort at the end of games.
Failing to acquire Jeff Hoffman shouldn't dampen outlook on Phillies' improved bullpen
The Twins did give up a notable collection of prospects for Hoffman, including pitchers John Klein and Dasan Hill, which perhaps speaks to why the Phillies weren't able to grab him. Their farm system is thin on arms as is, and that's before acknowledging the loss of top prospect Ramon Marquez, who was the centerpiece of the Arraez-Kilian deal.
It's understandable that Dave Dombrowski didn't want to part with more young pitching talent in order to acquire relief help, especially when Raley (1.96 ERA in 45 appearances this year) can capably fill the set-up role vacated by Keller. It also helps that, unlike the Twins, the Phillies have no need for a closer; Duran is firmly entrenched in the ninth inning, having recorded a sterling 1.20 FIP and 24 saves this season.
It's also important not to completely dismiss Kilian as a throw-in from that Arraez deal, either. Once a top-tier starting pitching prospect who served as the main return in the 2021 Kris Bryant trade, the Giants converted him to relief this year to great success. Certain peripherals, like his 10.4% walk rate, are concerning, but it's easy to buy into a guy with a 3.33 xERA and 3.59 FIP. That he throws hard, strikes out a ton of batters (27.5% K-rate), and has a starting pitcher's arsenal only helps boost his stock, and he's under team control through the 2031 season.
There are gripes to be had with the Phillies' performance at the deadline this year, but failing to address the bullpen properly shouldn't be one of them. Reuniting with Hoffman was a nice concept, but Dombrowski found other strong options to reinforce the relief corps.
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