Philadelphia Phillies Linked as Potential Trade Destination for Red Sox Closer

The Philadelphia Phillies have been linked as a potential trade partner with the Boston Red Sox for their World Series champion closer.

Apr 14, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Kenley Jansen (74) reacts / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies were expected to have one of the best pitching staffs in Major League Baseball, but that certainly hasn't been the case to start 2024.

If they want to supplement the bullpen with even more talent, they could be active on the trade market. Bleacher Reports' Tim Kelly mentioned them as an ideal landing spot for a player they have tried to trade for before.

Kenley Jansen and the Phillies were linked a lot duing the offseason, but the Boston Red Sox ended up keeping him around. The Red Sox could be fielding calls for him and cashing in on a hot start.

Vintage isn't the right word to use for Jansen, as he clearly isn't the same pitcher as he once was, but he hasn't been bad at all this season. He could be perfect for a contending team searching for another dominant right-hander out of the pen.

The 36-year-old is currently at a 2.70 earned run average for the season, which would be an improvement on his first two seasons outside of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. His biggest struggle so far this season has been his poor strikeout-to-walk ratio.

When the trade was originally shot down by Ken Rosenthal back in February, it was mainly because he doesn't have a ton of value as a trade piece.

"Who is going to take Kenley Jansen at this point?" asked Rosenthal.

The combination of his $16 million price tag and old age made him a very scary trade at the time. But now that the teams have gotten a chance to see what kind of form he is in, it's not surprising that he is coming back around.

The good news for the Phillies, is that he likely won't break the bank as far as rentals go, because those concerns are still very real.