The Philadelphia Phillies will need to do better with their bullpen if they hope to get back to the playoffs for a fourth straight season. Entering Sunday’s MLB slate, Philadelphia stood at 14-13, 4 1/2 games behind the streaking New York Mets and tied with two other teams for what would be the third National League Wild Card spot.
Relief pitching, or lack of it, is a main reason for the Phillies’ sluggish start. Their bullpen ERA of 5.46 ranks 18th of MLB‘s 30 teams, while their 1.55 WHIP is 28th and .285 opponents’ batting average puts Philly dead last.
Philadelphia relievers have recorded seven saves, five of them credited to closer Jose Alvarado, who has yet to blow a save opportunity. But Alvarado has given up 13 hits in 12 2/3 innings, and walked two.
Clearly, Alvarado can’t handle the entire bullpen load himself. That’s why, according to USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will attempt to extract Ryan Helsley from the St. Louis Cardinals in a trade.
The 30-year-old, seven year veteran posted a career year last season, saving an MLB-best 49 games and earning his first All-Star selection.
As the Cardinals continue with their rebuilding project, Helsley “will likely be dealt by the trade deadline,” Nightengale wrote. “Yet, the Phillies are adamant they will not include top prospects Andrew Painter or Aidan Miller in any trade.”
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Painter, a right-handed pitcher who is described by MLB Pipeline as “one of the best high school arms in the 2021 draft class,” is the Phillies’ current No. 1 prospect.
Miller, the Phillies’ 2023 first-round draft pick, 27th overall, out of J.W. Mitchell High School in New Port Richey, Florida, is a power-hitting shortstop who is rated by MLB Pipeline as the organization’s No. 2 prospect.
Helsley is pitching on a one-year, $8.2 million contract with the Cardinals and is eligible for free agency following this season. But the St. Louis 2015 fifth-round pick is, like his team, off to a halting start with two blown saves already in six opportunities.
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