The Philadelphia Phillies entered last season with a glaring void in their bullpen, and they responded by swinging a major deal to bring Jhoan Duran over from the Minnesota Twins.
Since arriving in Philadelphia, Duran has been outstanding, and that urgent need for elite relief help has faded. Still, with the 2026 MLB trade deadline drawing nearer, the Phillies have been connected to one reliever who is viewed as nearly certain to be dealt a 90% likelihood, per reports.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley Daniel have identified the Phillies as a strong potential landing spot for Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman, who currently owns a microscopic 0.44 ERA. Chapman’s name hasn’t frequently come up in connection with Philadelphia, which makes the possibility particularly noteworthy.
In their analysis, Passan and McDaniel listed the Phillies among a group of clubs that make sense for Chapman, alongside the Mariners, Pirates, White Sox, Dodgers, Rays, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Blue Jays, and Guardians. Chapman, a hard-throwing lefty, naturally appeals to any contender seeking to reinforce its bullpen down the stretch.
At first glance, the Phillies’ interest might seem puzzling given that Duran already anchors the ninth inning. But adding Chapman would give Philadelphia a fearsome pair of late-inning weapons, with the ability to deploy one in the eighth and the other in the ninth.
With starters Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler, and Jesús Luzardo all performing at a high level and regularly working deep into games, the Phillies could maintain an elite pitching presence from start to finish if they land Chapman.
Currently, Brad Keller is sidelined on the injured list and had been struggling in the setup role behind Duran, while Orion Kerkering has been used mostly in low-leverage situations. Jonathan Bowlan hasn’t yet earned trust in high-pressure spots. Bringing in Chapman would provide a left-handed counterpart to Duran, capable of closing when Duran needs a breather or, at minimum, giving Philadelphia the most dominant setup duo in baseball.
That alignment would give the Phillies two of the sport’s premier relievers covering the final two innings, meaning that in most cases, carrying a lead into the eighth would all but seal the win.
Of course, that’s just the theoretical upside, and Philadelphia’s trade assets might be better directed toward acquiring an outfielder. Still, the Chapman connection is an intriguing one that fans could reasonably find themselves excited about.
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