Phillies Connected to Potential Trade With Unthinkable Team

The Philadelphia Phillies' bullpen is in crisis following the loss of Brad Keller, and it would be a complete shock if they didn't make at least one move to address the issue between now and the MLB trade deadline.

To be quite frank, the Phillies needed relief help before the Keller injury; his UCL tear just further exacerbated the situation.

Philadelphia doesn't have a ton of assets in its farm system, which could complicate things in terms of making trades to rectify other holes, but make no mistake: the Phillies absolutely must add bullpen pieces.

But where will they be able to find them?

There may not be a ton of sellers before Aug. 3, and the teams that are selling may be placing high prices on their assets.

Well, Matt Gelb of The Athletic has floated a very intriguing potential trade partner: the New York Mets, of all clubs.

"The Phillies’ opponent this weekend, the moribund New York Mets, could be their bullpen trade supplier. The Mets have two left-handed relievers, Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter, who will likely be traded at the deadline," Gelb wrote. "The veterans are both free agents next offseason. They will not command a heavy prospect return, but there will be league-wide interest."

Raley has been with New York since 2022 and has been very effective throughout his stay in the Big Apple. He owns a lifetime 2.34 ERA over 144 relief appearances with the Mets, and this year, he boasts a 2.02 ERA.

Some of Raley's underlying numbers are concerning, such as his declining strikeout rate and iffy strikeout-to-walk ratio, but he keeps the ball in the yard and would represent a major upgrade over what Philadelphia currently has.

Meanwhile, Minter has logged a 1.42 ERA in 19 relief outings this season. Through 10 big-league campaigns, most of which came with the Atlanta Braves, the 32-year-old owns a career 3.14 ERA and 10.8 K/9.

While neither should be incredibly expensive, again, the Phillies don't have a ton of compelling prospect capital, which could make a match difficult.

You also have to figure that New York might try to rake Philadelphia over the coals in a potential deal, as the Mets surely wouldn't enjoy helping their hated NL East rivals.

Regardless, it will be interesting to see if the Phillies place a call to New York to see if one of the two relievers could be had.

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