The Philadelphia Phillies are in desperate need of bullpen help; specifically left-handed bullpen help. The current relief corps sports only the disappointing José Alvarado and journeyman Tim Mayza, while depth options Tanner Banks and Kyle Backhus haven’t fared any better. If the struggling Houston Astros make six-time All-Star Josh Hader available, the Phillies should pull out all the stops to acquire him.
With roughly two-thirds of teams in Major League Baseball vying for one of the twelve playoff spots available, there are very few clear sellers at this year’s trade deadline. Future Hall of Famer Aroldis Chapman was shaping up to be the most desirable southpaw on the market, but the Boston Red Sox’s remarkable 14-game winning streak has vaulted them firmly into contender status. As a result, the pool of elite relievers available this summer has shrunk even smaller.Â
There’s no guarantee that the Astros, who put together a near-decade-long run of postseason appearances from 2016-2024, will be willing to trade away assets this time around, but their ugly 48-54 record placed them 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot entering Tuesday. If they don’t start rattling off victories soon, they may be left with no other option.
Josh Hader would be the perfect fit for an ailing Phillies bullpen
MLB Insider Robert Murray speculated that such a scenario could play out in Houston’s favor, as the dearth of quality late-inning options could lead to a needy team bowling them over with an offer. The Phillies could be just such a team, considering the fact that they’re in the later stages of an aging core’s competitive window, and have suffered some significant blows to a reliever mix that’s held together with duct tape and bubble gum.
The aforementioned Alvarado has failed to materialize in his first season back from a performance-enhancing drug suspension, while free agent addition Brad Keller was hit with a season-ending elbow injury and the pupu platter of middle relief arms Chase Shugart, Seth Johnson and Max Lazar have yet to impress.
Top-flight closer Jhoan Duran, trade steal Jonathan Bowlan, and the mercurial Orion Kerkering are the only arms that can even be somewhat counted upon in crunch time. Importantly, all three of those guys are right-handed.Â
Adding Hader to that mix would be a complete gamechanger, as the 10-year veteran has a lifetime 2.60 ERA across 529 ⅔ innings with 857 strikeouts and 237 saves to his name. Hader missed the final two months of last season with a left shoulder capsule strain, and was on the shelf for the first two months of this year with biceps tendinitis. However, he’s been his usual dominant self in 17 ⅓ frames since coming back, punching out 28 opponents and racking up 10 saves en route to a 1.56 ERA.
The 32-year-old is under contract for two seasons beyond the current one at $19 million apiece as part of the record-breaking five-year, $95 million pact he inked ahead of the 2024 campaign. That massive contract (as relievers go) may work in the Phillies’ favor, as their financial might gives them the ability to take on significant money in a trade. If the Astros value financial flexibility, it would allow the Phils to part with a lesser prospect haul in exchange for absorbing most or all of Hader’s remaining money.
There’s no guarantee that Josh Hader will become available, but it would behoove the Phillies to force the Astros to say no to a deal. Offering up a combination of financial relief and solid prospects could get them to part ways with a dominant arm that would form a devastating duo with Jhoan Duran.
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