The Athletic is reporting that the Philadelphia Phillies have been fielding calls on a trio of their bullpen arms.
The Philadelphia Phillies could be in the story for an active offseason given the number of free agents they have, and the strides the organization must make to get the roster to being a World Series contender once again.
A new report from The Athletic’s Matt Gelb revealed that the Phillies have been taking calls on their left-handed reliever trio of Jose Alvarado, Tanner Banks, and Matt Streahm through the first few weeks of the offseason.
“The Phillies have fielded steady interest in all three of their left-handed relievers since the offseason began, major-league sources said, and it could nudge them toward a trade,” wrote Gelb.
It’s important to point out that just because the Phillies are taking calls on this trio of arms, it doesn’t mean they’ll end up moving any of them. Why wouldn’t Dave Dombrowski listen to what another organization offers for valuable pitchers?
That said, the Philadelphia must be careful when it comes to dealing from their pitching depth.
The Phillies must have a multi-step plan in place if they plan on moving one or more of their relievers this offseason. The shaky bullpen was easily Philadelphia’s biggest concern throughout last offseason, and they should be in the market for adding another back-end reliever, not trading them away.
Yes, trading away one of their relievers could help replenish the farm system, but the Phillies should still be in win-now mode, and the bullpen is an area that must improve.
During the postseason, the Phillies had a 3.57 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. Throughout the regular season, they had a 4.27 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. Those numbers certainly aren’t terrible, but they definitely point toward an area of improvement this winter.
Perhaps moving Alvarado, Banks, and Strahm could give the Phillies prospect capital to trade for an even better pitcher, or clear up some space for the Phillies to sign one of the top relievers on the trade market, such as
The Phillies should have just been open to just about any path that improves their big-league roster for the 2026 season, and trading away one or multiple relievers without a move to replenish is certainly a risky move.