Phillies could soon acquire All-Star closer from division rival

The Philadelphia Phillies could be in the market for a closer at the trade deadline. They lost their closer, José Alvarado, to a PED suspension in May.

Alvarado's suspension will keep him out of the postseason. In his absence, Jordan Romano has been the closer. Romano was once an All-Star closer for the Toronto Blue Jays, but has not been that player this season for the Phillies. From 2021-2023, Romano pitched in 184 games and had a 2.37 ERA with 95 saves. Romano has a 5.40 ERA since Alvarado's suspension.

If the Phillies want to make a deep run in October, they will need a better closer. Perhaps the best available closer at this year's deadline figures to be Kyle Finnegan of the Washington Nationals. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand suggested the Phillies could trade for Finnegan from their division rival.

"Late-inning relievers are always in demand this time of year, so Finnegan – who has 18 saves and a 3.12 ERA in 26 appearances – should draw significant interest from a number of contenders," wrote Feinsand. "An All-Star in 2024, Finnegan ranks in the 65th percentile in ground-ball rate (45.6%) and his 96.1 mph average fastball ranks in the 80th percentile."

The Nationals are 9 1/2 games back of a wild card spot and figure to be sellers at the trade deadline. Finnegan will be a free agent after the season and could be a prime trade candidate.

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He has a 3.53 career ERA and was an All-Star last season. He has 106 career saves, 84 of which have come since the start of 2023. He has blown five saves this season, so he is not perfect. However, he would be an upgrade for the Phillies. The Phillies may have to overpay as a division rival.

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