It is no secret that the Phillies are looking to before the trade deadline, and to that end, reports that the Phils have asked the Pirates about relievers and . Santana has been of interest to Philadelphia for quite some time, Hiles writes, though Bednars recent strong play has also gotten him onto the NL East teams radar. first mentioned the Phillies interest in Santana and Bednar last week, and noted that Philadelphia could look to acquire both relievers in a single trade. MLBTRs ranking of features Bednar (3rd) and Santana (9th) both in prominent positions, speaking to both their impre sive performances in 2025, the that the Pirates will indeed be deadline sellers, and the simple fact that basically every contender could use some bullpen help. The two right-handers are both scheduled to enter free agency after the 2026 season, so that extra year of arbitration control figures to up the Pirates asking price for either pitcher. Santanas rise from journeyman reliever to bullpen ace has been remarkable, as it was barely over a year ago that the Bucs claimed Santana off waivers from the Yankees in a transaction that drew little notice. After posting uninspiring numbers with four teams over parts of seven MLB seasons, Santana suddenly blo somed in Pittsburgh, with a 1.99 ERA, 25.16% strikeout rate, and 5.8% walk rate in 81 1/3 innings in a Pirates uniform. Santana has certainly been aided by a .206 BABIP this season since his 3.52 SIERA is over two runs higher than his 1.46 ERA, but Santanas underlying metrics (particularly his walk rate and elite hard-contact rate) indicate that his succe s is no fluke. Santana has mostly worked in a set-up role but briefly served as Pittsburghs closer when Bednar was optioned to Triple-A at the start of April. Between his struggles in 2024 and his early stumbles this year, Bednar looked miles removed from his past Danny Jansen Jersey All-Star form, yet his brief stint in the minors got his career back on track. Bednar has a sparkling 1.88 ERA over the 28 2/3 innings since his recall, and his 34.7% strikeout rate is one of the best in baseball. On the other end of the batted-ball coin, Bednar had achieved this succe s despite a .343 BABIP, and his 2.27 SIERA is even lower than his full-season 2.73 ERA. Either Bednar or Santana would be obvious upgrades for a Phillies team that ranks 24th of 30 teams in bullpen ERA (4.41). Closer has somewhat righted the ship after some major early-season struggles but isnt the most reliable of late-inning options, while wont be back from his 80-game PED suspension until August (and of course Alvarado isnt eligible for postseason play). Since Philadelphia has one of the sports best rotations and the lineup is still as dangerous as ever, a sturdier bullpen may be the final piece the Phillies need to finally break through for the clubs first World Series title since 2008. Considering how the bullpen has been a constant target area for a few years now, landing controllable relievers like Santana or Bednar would help the Phillies addre s the i sue beyond just this season. Last seasons deadline saw the Phillies acquire impending free agent to strengthen the pen, yet after Estevez left to sign with the Royals, Philadelphia was somewhat left back at square one. Bednar is the pricier of the two pitchers, as he is set to earn the remainder of his $5.9MM salary in 2025 before earning a raise in his final arb year. Santana to the Pirates in February and thus earned a $1.4MM salary for 2025, making him quite the bargain given his production. This lower price tag could be one of the reasons why the Phillies (and surely other teams) have particular interest in Santanas services. Because the Phillies are to be over the highest luxury-tax tier and this is their fourth year as tax-payors, any adds will come at over double the financial cost, given the a sociated 110% tax rate. Johnny Pesky Jersey