The Philadelphia Phillies are completing a trade with an NL East foe.
The Philadelphia Phillies already landed a bat in Luis Arraez and a decent reliever in Kaleb Kilian. Now it looks like they're on the move again.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today has reported that the Phillies are finalizing a trade with the New York Mets to acquire left-handed relief pitcher Brooks Raley, who was widely viewed as one of the top bullpen arms on the market.
Philadelphia is sending outfield prospect John Spikerman as well as minor-league right-hander Luke Gabrysh to the Mets in return, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
Raley has logged a sparkling 1.96 ERA over 45 relief appearances this season, allowing just 30 hits across 41.1 innings of work. His 3.3 BB/9 is a bit higher than one would like, but he compensates by barely allowing any hard contact.
The 38-year-old began his big-league career with the Chicago Cubs all the way back in 2012. After making appearances in the majors his first two seasons, he then went seven long years between MLB outings.
Raley finally found himself getting big-league work for the Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros in 2020, where he appeared in 20 contests out of the pen.
The southpaw was then featured in 58 games of relief work for the Astros in 2021 before making his way to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022, where he found his groove with a 2.68 ERA and 0.969 WHIP.
That ensuing offseason, Raley landed with the Mets, where he had been pitching ever since.
Across three-and-a-half campaigns in the Big Apple, Raley pitched to the tune of a 2.31 ERA and 1.080 WHIP, averaging 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
This year, however, has easily been his best season, so the Phillies are acquiring him at just the perfect time.
Philadelphia's bullpen has been a sore spot in 2026, especially after losing key offseason addition Brad Keller for the season.
The Phillies knew they needed to add some relief help before the deadline, and they have done that by landing Kilian and Raley in separate deals.
Philadelphia had lost eight of its last nine games before beating the Baltimore Orioles two straight to end the weekend. It is clinging to a Wild Card spot in the crowded National League field.
The Phils will face the Washington Nationals on Monday night.
