World Series Champion Could Become Available For Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies could target one of the best closers of all time to upgrade their bullpen if he becomes available.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Kenley Jansen (74) pitches / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

It felt like an eternity since the Philadelphia Phillies were last in action prior to Saturday's game in London against their division rival New York Mets.

There was plenty to celebrate after Game 1 of the international series as the Phillies dominated their opponent and Bryce Harper created yet another viral moment.

However, the plane ride back won't quite be as sweet as it could have been after they dropped the second contest in frustrating fashion. The Mets rallied to score three runs in the top of the ninth inning to take a 6-4 lead and ultimately held onto a 6-5 victory.

Philadelphia called upon Jose Alvarado to close out the game with a one-run cushion.

The big lefty has been dominant for this team coming out of the bullpen over the years, but on Sunday, he blew his second save of the season.

One loss isn't the end of the world, but it does highlight there are still weaknesses on this roster that the front office can look to upgrade around the trade deadline to ensure they have the best possible shot at winning the World Series.

As all Phillies fans know, bullpen is their biggest concern.

One of the best relievers of all time could become available and Philadelphia should look to acquire him to mitigate some of these issues.

Jon Heyman of The New York Post lists the possibility that the Boston Red Sox deal future Hall of Famer Kenley Jansen before July 30 as "average," but with them 12.5 games out of first place in their division and currently outside of the playoff picture, that could change.

The Red Sox were shopping the veteran closer all offseason and the Phillies were routinely linked as a possible suitor with Craig Kimbrel departing in free agency.

Ultimately nothing got done, but that doesn't mean Dave Dombrowski is not interested.

Jansen is just two years removed from being the National League saves leader and was selected to another All-Star Game in 2023.

He would give Philadelphia more stability on the backend and allow manager Rob Thomson to put Alvarado in high-leverage situations at any point in the game to get them out of a jam, something he's done in the past and would like to continue doing.

The prospect of Jansen becoming available all depends on how Boston performs over the next month-and-a-half.

Despite being out of their divisional race, they sat just 1.5 back of the final Wild Card spot entering Sunday, meaning they would probably look to buy instead of sell if they think they can earn a spot in the playoffs.

This will be something to monitor going forward as bullpen arms are always going to be a need for the Phillies.