New Philadelphia Phillies Trade Idea Adds Angels Future Hall of Fame Closer

The Philadelphia Phillies should look to bring in this future Hall of Fame closer from the Los Angeles Angels to help their uneven bullpen.

Apr 24, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Kenley Jansen (74) pitches during the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Angel Stadium. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies have an uneven bullpen, which is something they may look to address when the trade deadline rolls around in a couple of months.

As a staff, the Phillies bullpen has a 5.56 ERA. That ranks at No. 29 in the league. It is hard to win in the postseason without trustworthy reliever depth.

Matt Strahm and Jose Alvarado have been playing at an All-Star level, but that is it. The offseason acquisitions of Jordan Romano and Carlos Hernandez haven't panned out.

One team that should absolutely be on their radar is the Los Angeles Angels. They signed a couple of veterans to one year deals and could look to trade them.

More specifically, they signed future Hall of Fame closer Kenley Jansen. Despite now being 37, he is playing as well as he has in a long time.

Through his first eight outings of the year, he has pitched eight scoreless innings with five hits and two walks allowed. His strikeout numbers are slightly down, but his 0.875 WHIP would be his best mark since 2017.

This isn't a pitcher that would give them multiple innings, but could take over the full-time closer role. That would allowed Philadelphia to be more flexible with Alvarado and Strahm.

Even if Jansen were to regress a bit, back to where he has been in the last few years, that would still be a welcome addition to the pen.

Since his legendary run with the Los Angeles Dodgers ended, he has had a 3.42 ERA with an ERA+ of 126.

There is nothing to really suggest that he will fall apart all of a sudden. His sinker isn't as dynamic as it used to be, but it is still getting batters out.

In terms of what they would have to give up for him, the Angels can't really expect a haul. They would likely just be hoping for a pitching prospect back in return.

This could be a prime time for the Phillies to cash in on the potential of Mick Abel, offering a top-10 prospect to Los Angeles.

Abel is just 23 and can still totally turn things around, but it seems like he needs a change of scenery.

The former No. 15 overall pick has looked solid in Triple-A this season with a 3.18 ERA over five starts. Perhaps this could be their best chance to move on and add an instant impact player at the same time.

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