Phillies predicted to land Guardians' 3-time All-Star in deadline stunner

The All-Star break is rolling on in Atlanta, but behind the scenes, prep is only intensifying for the upcoming trade deadline.

Of all teams, the Philadelphia Phillies might have the most pressure to win in 2025. They've had a decent start to the season, but some roster flaws have been exposed, which they'll desperately need to fix by Jul. 31.

The closer role has been a bugaboo for the Phillies, and the trade deadline is often a great time to find some new impact relief pitching. Jordan Romano isn't a usable closer and José Alvarado won't be eligible for the playoffs.

What if, though, the Phillies could acquire a superstar closer with a year and a half left on his contract and two more team options?

That's exactly what Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut foresees the Phillies doing. On Monday, Johnson predicted that Philadelphia would acquire three-time All-Star Emmanuel Clase from the Cleveland Guardians.

"Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase is a three-time All-MLB selection, and he has led the American League in saves for three consecutive seasons. The right-handed closer hasn’t been quite as dominant this season, but his last 12 appearances (0.66 ERA in 13.2 innings) show he is rounding back into form," Johnson wrote.

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"He’ll be especially expensive to acquire since he is under team control through 2028, but he provides the long-term stability in the ninth inning that Philadelphia needs."

It's not as though a 2.91 on the season is bad, but Clase was so brilliant last year, his second time winning the American League's Reliever of the Year Award, that this might be seen as a buy-low situation. Still, everyone knows how dominant Clase is at his best, so the prospect price would be high.

Clase makes $4.9 million this year, $6.4 million next year, then would earn $10 million in 2027 and 2028 if both of his club options were exercised. But that's too far into the future to worry about for a Phillies team that just wants a World Series ring ASAP.

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