Philadelphia Phillies Reportedly Eyeing Specific Reliever to Upgrade Bullpen

With all eyes on what the Philadelphia Phillies are going to do ahead of the trade deadline, they reportedly are targeting a specific reliever.

Jun 30, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Chad Green (57) throws pitch against the New York Yankees during the eighth inning at Rogers Centre / Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies are going to be active ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.

That has been clear since a month into the season when they emerged as one of the top teams in the league, but how aggressive they were going to be when searching for upgrades was what everyone was trying to figure out.

Dave Dombrowski made his first move on Friday, shipping out Seranthony Dominguez and Cristian Pache to land 2023 All-Star Austin Hays to be the outfield bat they have been trying to land.

It's not a blockbuster move by any means, but it does address the platoon and depth concerns they had by getting a solid right-handed batter who can field his position well and come into a ready-made clubhouse willing to execute his role.

Naturally, Phillies fans have started to wonder what is next with bullpen being the other clear need.

After shipping out Dominguez, it seems clear they will be targeting a reliever after their short-term fix doesn't seem like a viable option when they get into the playoffs. Fans have long dreamt about Mason Miller being the headlining move they make, but with him on the injured list, it doesn't seem like Philadelphia will go in that direction.

Instead, it sounds like they already have a target in mind.

According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, one of the Phillies' top targets is Chad Green of the Toronto Blue Jays, someone who manager Rob Thomson is familiar with from their time as part of the New York Yankees.

Green was a staple on the backend for the Yankees, having two years with an ERA under 3.00 and posting a 3.17 cumulative ERA across 272 outings during his seven seasons there.

He signed a two-year, $8.5 million deal with the Blue Jays heading into 2023 even though he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. When he returned to the mound he struggled, allowing seven earned runs in 12 innings pitched.

But the veteran has recovered well in 2024, posting a 1.82 ERA in his 29 outings and holding opponents to a batting average of .186.

Again, this wouldn't be the eye-catching move that Philadelphia fans are hoping for, but Green would be another high-leverage pitcher who has playoff experience.