The Philadelphia Phillies have come a long way considering how this season started. They have one of the best records in the league since Don Mattingly took over as manager. Now, they need to capitalize on that. It has been reported by Bob Nightengale that they appear to be interested in New York Mets star reliever Luke Weaver.
“They (The Phillies) would love to acquire Mets reliever Luke Weaver, but the price tag may be high.” – Bob Nightengale, USA Today
Weaver has turned into a star ever since he joined the New York Yankees in 2024. He went from a reliever with an ERA over six and turned into one of the premier setup relievers in the Bronx.
The Mets scooped him up from their cross-town rivals and put him in a similar role, which he has continued to find success. He is having a career-year in his age 32 season, posting an ERA just over two and a WHIP of 0.82.
The Phillies have been tasked with the responsibility of finding a true setup man at the trade deadline due to the injury to Brad Keller. The former All-Star had signed a two-year, $22 million contract this offseason before suffering a UCL injury that landed him on the IL, likely ending his season.
The bullpen has been a concern all season for Philadelphia, even before Keller went down with an injury. They haven’t been able to find a reliable lefty whom they can trust. Weaver, a righty, would not be able to fix this issue, but he would solve the biggest need of a bridge pitcher to Jhoan Duran.
Expect to hear the Phillies connected to a bunch of New York Mets players up until the trade deadline. It has been reported that they are ready to go into full-sell mode and don’t care who they trade with, even if it’s a rival. Another bullpen arm to keep an eye on from New York: Brooks Raley. He would solve both the setup and lefty issues in the bullpen.
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