A veteran MLB insider believes the Philadelphia Phillies will make improving the bullpen a priority again this winter. And a prominent arm from the Los Angeles Dodgers staff will be at the top of their wish list.
For much of the 2024 season, the Phillies owned one of the best records in baseball. During the first half, they seemed like one of the most complete teams in baseball and a serious World Series contender. However, in the second half major cracks in the sparkling facade started to show.
The team played around .500 ball during that time and they blew an opportunity to be the top seed in the National League. In the end, it didn’t matter because they were shockingly ousted in the Divisional Series by rivals the New York Mets.
While there were various reasons why the team fell apart down the stretch, their weaknesses in the bullpen played a key role in their playoff ouster. In all three of their NLDS losses to the Mets, the bullpen gave up a boatload of runs late in those games.
It is why improving the bullpen will be a goal this winter for the front office, and on Monday SNY MLB insider John Harper predicted the two big-time relievers the Philadelphia Phillies will make a serious run at in free agency.
Philadelphia Phillies predicted to go hard after Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen this winter
“The bullpen has been a costly problem for the Phillies in recent years, but by October they thought they had the answers for the postseason, only to watch the Mets destroy the likes of Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm, and newly-acquired Carlos Estevez in the late innings of the NLDS,” Harper wrote.
“So look for the big-spending Phillies to try again, perhaps going after the top reliever on the free agent market, lefty Tanner Scott. And, who knows, maybe Dodgers standout Blake Treinen as well.”
Scott has become an elite closer in the NL the last couple of seasons and was terrific for the San Diego Padres after being traded there before the deadline. Treinen has quietly been one of the better relievers in baseball over the last decade. His performance in the 2024 MLB playoffs showed how valuable he is as he shut down several formidable lineups in huge moments.