Phillies could acquire star Rangers closer with perfect save record
Phillies could acquire star Rangers closer with perfect save record
The Philadelphia Phillies already have an excellent roster. It's the principal reason they have the best record in Major League Baseball at the halfway point.
However, as all good teams know, you don't win a World Series by standing pat at the trade deadline. The Phillies will almost certainly be aggressive in seeking ways to improve their team, and all good teams know a robust bullpen is one of the keys to winning in October.
Though the Phillies already have a talented bullpen, there's room for one more shutdown arm, particularly a right-hander. And though it may have sounded unlikely at the start of the season, the defending World Series champions might be looking to sell them that shutdown righty.
As MLB Network insider Jon Morosi reported Monday, the Texas Rangers are considering selling at the trade deadline. Morosi named Kirby Yates as one of the Rangers who could be moved, and if he is, the Phillies must be one of the first calls to the offices at Globe Life Field.
Yates, 37, is having the best season of his 10-year career. He has the third-best ERA of all pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched, at 0.95. And since the Rangers moved him into the closer role, he is a perfect 11-for-11 in save opportunities.
The Phillies have mostly employed a closer-by-committee approach this season, with José Alvarado seeing the most time in the ninth inning.
Jeff Hoffman has pitched the highest-leverage innings by a right-hander, but Yates would figure to slot right into the mix with both depending on the situation. He has one other season as a closer under his belt--2019, when he finished ninth in Cy Young voting with 41 saves.
Ultimately, it comes down to how the Rangers play over the next 3.5 weeks. If the deadline arrives and they're no closer to a playoff spot, they have to read the writing on the wall. And if they do sell, the Phillies will undoubtedly be aggressive in going after Texas' stars.
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