The Philadelphia Phillies could strengthen their bullpen by signing this elite relief pitcher.
One major reason for the Phillies’ disappointing postseason, where they were soundly beaten by the rival New York Mets, was their unreliable bullpen, which struggled to close out games. This issue was surprising, as the bullpen had been solid in the regular season, posting an ERA below 4.00 and converting nearly 70 percent of save opportunities. However, in the NLDS, the bullpen went 0 for 3 in save opportunities and posted a dreadful 11.37 ERA, giving Philadelphia little chance to compete.
These stats won’t help any team make a deep postseason run, let alone contend for a World Series. With both Carlos Estévez and Jeff Hoffman entering free agency after strong performances, and limited resources to keep both, the Phillies will likely need to turn to the open market to address their bullpen. Fortunately, Dodgers’ right-hander Blake Treinen, one of the top arms available, could be a perfect fit. Edward Eng from FanSided believes Treinen, who played a crucial role in the Dodgers’ 2024 postseason success, is an ideal target for Philadelphia.
“More importantly, he has been one of the Dodgers’ most trusted arms this postseason,” Eng wrote, emphasizing that Treinen could fill the exact role Philadelphia lacked—an elite reliever stepping up in the biggest moments. What better way to solve their problem than to bring in one of the best in free agency?
Though Treinen’s injury history and his age (he’ll be 37 next summer) may be concerns, they could make him affordable on a shorter-term deal. After missing most of 2022 and all of 2023, Treinen rebounded in 2024 with a stellar season, recording a 1.93 ERA, 0.943 WHIP, and 56 strikeouts over 46.2 innings in 50 appearances. He is certainly a name the Phillies should consider as they work to upgrade their bullpen this offseason.
