PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 16: Jose Alvarado #46 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during Game One of the Championship Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 16, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
On Sunday, the MLB announced that left-hander José Alvarado had been suspended for 80 games after failing a performance-enhancing drug (PED) test. The MLB stated that he tested positive for exogenous testosterone, which refers to testosterone that comes from outside the body. This suspension will lead to Alvarado missing most of the regular season and becoming ineligible for the playoffs for the Philadelphia Phillies.
The soon-to-be 30-year-old reliever had pitched to a 2.70 ERA and a 6.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 20 appearances. He has notched seven saves this season and for his career he has a 123 ERA+.
The Phillies’ bullpen ranked 24th in the majors in ERA with Alvarado, so losing the closer is a big loss to an already struggling bullpen. Executives Dave Dombrowski and Sam Fuld will have to find bullpen trade candidates to help fill the void for Alvarado.
St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Ryan Helsley has earned Cy Young Award consideration in both 2022 and 2024, but the big question is, will he be available for trade? At this point, it seems like the Cardinals would not be looking to trade him as they have a 26-21 record and are two games behind the Chicago Cubs. If the Cardinals continue winning, it seems unlikely that the impending free agent would be on the move.
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A potential move for Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Pete Fairbanks would be more likely due to the club option for next season being nearly double his salary. One thing that might turn off the Phillies would be his durability issues as he has dealt with numerous injuries like Raynaud’s syndrome, shoulder inflammation, lat strains, nerve-related problems, as well as a back issue.
The Los Angeles Angels’ right-hander Kenley Jansen and left-hander Reid Detmers could both be intriguing pieces that the Phillies go for, as Jansen has had lots of late-inning experience despite some signs of deterioration in his signature pitch, while Detmers has struggled the last two seasons, but could be a good buy-low candidate.
The Phillies have many more options to bulk up their bullpen with right-handed pitchers like the Washington Nationals’ Kyle Finnegan, Baltimore Orioles’ Seranthony Domínguez and Colorado Rockies’ Jake Bird. As the MLB trade deadline nears, the Phillies have many avenues to upgrade their bullpen.
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