Philadelphia Phillies Should Trade For All-Star Closer as Bullpen Struggles

Should the Philadelphia Phillies pull off a trade to improve their bullpen as they're dealing with struggles in high-leverage situations?

Apr 16, 2025; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) throws in relief in the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Busch Stadium. | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies are playing well to begin the year, but one area continues to be a major concern.

Coming into the season, the Phillies were looking to bounce back from a disappointing end to the campaign in 2024. In the National League Division Series, there were a couple of flaws with Philadelphia that were exploited, and so far those issues might still persist.

This winter, the Phillies made a couple of good moves on paper to try and improve, with finding a lockdown closer being one of them.

Before Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman signed elsewhere, Philadelphia signed former All-Star Jordan Romano to be their new closer. Even though 2024 wasn’t a great year for the right-hander with injuries, he had been an All-Star closer the two years prior.

However, the right-hander hasn’t gotten off to a good start this campaign. So far, Romano has totaled a staggering 15.26 ERA in 7.2 innings pitched, and has saved just one game.

The bullpen and the closer spot have been an issue for the Phillies for years now, and it doesn’t appear early on that the former All-Star is going to be the answer.

With that being said, Philadelphia should pursue a trade for St. Louis Cardinals All-Star closer, Ryan Helsley.

The right-hander from the Cardinals had an outstanding year in 2024, totaling 49 saves and a 2.05 ERA.

That type of lockdown closer is exactly what the Phillies need, and he will likely be available if the Cardinals struggle in his contract season.

For Philadelphia, they have a lot of key veterans in the final years of their contract. It feels like 2025 could be the final year for some of this current core to win, but the bullpen is emerging as a glaring issue.

So far in 2024, the unit ranks 28th in bullpen ERA, above only the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals.

For a team that has one of the best starting rotations in baseball to go along with a powerful lineup, the bullpen is a glaring weakness and must be addressed.

A player like Helsley is an amazing fit for Philadelphia, and they also have the prospects to get a deal done.

After the struggles of the unit in the postseason last year and in the seasons prior, the Phillies must go into October with a stronger bullpen than they have. Furthermore, adding someone the caliber of Helsley to close out games in the ninth inning would be a massive bonus.