After the Philadelphia Phillies' wildly successful weekend on the trade market, it sounded like they might be done dealing. But now it sounds like Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Sam Fuld are searching for more bullpen reinforcements ahead of Tuesday's 6:00 p.m. ET deadline.
They already got the outfield help they had been looking for, trading for Austin Hays from the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. They followed that up with a big move on Saturday, snagging closer Carlos Estévez from the Los Angeles Angels for a rather steep price.
Phillies aren't done dealing for bullpen help as trade deadline heats up
Despite bringing in arguably the top reliever on the market, Dombrowski and Fuld aren't done shopping.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Phillies front office is continuing the search for additional bullpen help (subscription required).
Who's available out there at this point? If the Phillies are looking for playoff-caliber relievers there are a few top names still out there. As Rosenthal asserts, "Dombrowski chases the best major leaguers."
Pete Fairbanks of the Tampa Bay Rays is still unclaimed, and the Rays are aggressively selling. They've already traded Randy Arozarena, Isaac Paredes, Zach Eflin and Fairbanks' fellow reliever Jason Adam.
The right-hander hasn't had as good a season as last year and comes with health risks, which might explain why he's still available. He also has another year on his contract and a club option for 2026, which will drive his price up. He has a 3.11 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 20 saves but hasn't been a big strikeout pitcher like in previous seasons, with just a 22.7 percent strikeout rate in 37 2/3 innings this season.
Tanner Scott of the Miami Marlins could be a fit. The 30-year-old lefty has a minuscule 1.18 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 18 saves and a 29.1 percent strikeout rate in 45 2/3 innings. Like Estévez, he'd be a rental and hit free agency after the season.
Another division rival, Washington Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan is also still available. He comes with a 2.47 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 28 saves and a 25.4 percent strikeout rate in 43 2/3 innings. The 32-year-old right-hander has one more year of arbitration before becoming a free agent after 2025.
While these would all be great additions to the Phillies bullpen, whether Dombrowski can get another deal done before Tuesday's cut-off is another matter. But if he can, expect it to be another quality arm that could cost the Phillies some more top prospects.