Yankees Should Begin Trade Talks with Phillies to Find a Closer Solution

The Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees could be trade partners at some point.

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) reacts after a strike out to end the game for a win against the Cleveland Guardians at Citizens Bank Park. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees bullpen has been one of the most frustrating parts of the ball club. They always seem to be walking a tightrope when games are close, and you never know which version of Camilo Doval and David Bednar will show up in the 8th and 9th innings.

Even still, with Doval posting a 5.40 ERA and Bednar a 4.70 ERA, their 3.40 ERA ranks 4th in the American League. Ahead of them are the Red Sox and Rangers, and all three are below .500.

If there is an opportunity for the Yankees to really set themselves apart from the rest of the AL, doing so in the bullpen would create an impenetrable wall of sorts between the rotation and their relievers come October. At that point, on paper, their lineup will just have to show up.

One team to watch is the Philadelphia Phillies, specifically with their closer Jhoan Duran, whom they acquired last season from the Minnesota Twins. Duran would be a clear upgrade from Bednar, and that would push him back to the eight inning, thus extending the bullpen a bit and giving them the type of depth they haven't had the last two seasons.

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) reacts after the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Waiting game

For Philly, it will just be a matter of what they look like by the trade deadline. They have struggled all year, but right now, they're 29-27. Despite being eight games out of first place in the National League, they are 1 game back of the Wild Card, as things stand now.

The Phillies, under Dave Dombrowski, have always had a propensity to go all in. With a roster that boasts Christopher Sanchez, Bryce Harper, and Kyle Schwarber, it's hard to imagine they'll be sellers if they're still that close in a few months.

If they have another slide, Duran should shoot to the top of the Yankees' trade board. He has a 1.62 ERA in 16.2 innings, with an absurd 26 strikeouts and five walks.

Duran's bread and butter is that fastball. He has a 99th percentile fastball velocity in all of baseball, averaging 100.1 MPH on his heater.

Unfortunately, Bednar's fastball has undergone a bit of a regression. Last year, he averaged 97.1 MPH on it. That is down to 95.8 MPH this year.

Duran would be an upgrade from Bednar in every sense of the word. Adding him, and potentially Carlos Lagrange, who has even more of an electric fastball than Duran, and potentially Ryan Weathers, would up the Yankees' strikeout ability in the pen. For a part of the team that has been a weakness, the bullpen has a chance at being a real strength.