Possible move before Opening Day: Phillies trade for Emmanuel Clase
Now it starts to get fun.
All offseason there have been rumors of big-name closer Emmanuel Clase leaving Cleveland. With potentially five years of team control left, the back-to-back MLB saves leader is going to draw a decent asking price.
There have been reported talks between Philadelphia and Cleveland that hit a speed bump because Cleveland's reported asking price was Justin Crawford, a top outfield prospect recently ranked No. 77 by MLB Pipeline and longtime Tampa Bay Ray Carl Crawford's son, plus more.
In his four seasons, Clase has pitched to a 2.00 ERA with a WHIP under 1.00. He's also collected 111 saves and led the MLB in games finished the past two seasons, earning him All-Star nods both years. Clase's xERA, walk rate, barrel rate, and ground ball rate all land above the 88th percentile of all major league pitchers.
A move for Clase would add that high-leverage, back end of the bullpen arm that the Phillies have been missing out on for years. The price still looks to be one of the Phillies' top five prospects, as well as some filler fringe players such as Johan Rojas, Rafael Marchán, or Griff Mcgarry. The talks could all be a setup for a big move at the Trade Deadline, or we could see another closer like Kenley Jansen become an option for the Phillies.