The Phillies are in need of bullpen help and the market for relievers is moving quickly. Ken Rosenthal and Jayson Stark of The Athletic reported that the Phillies are showing serious interest in former Tigers, Brewers and Dodgers pitcher Corey Knebel.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski drafted Knebel back in 2013 when he ran the Tigers front office.
Knebel, 30, posted a 2.59 ERA across 31 1/3 innings through the regular season and playoffs in 2021. He’s a two-pitch pitcher with a fastball that averages 96 mph and a curveball that opponents slugged just .233 against.
The Dodgers relied on Knebel to be their go-to opener option in the postseason. While Knebel did have 39 saves in his All-Star season with Milwaukee in 2017, the Phillies would likely sign Knebel to serve as either a set-up man or an option for Joe Girardi in a closer-by-committee strategy.
He missed a significant amount of time in 2021 with a lat strain and missed all of 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. For a deal to work for both sides in 2022, Knebel with have to stay healthy throughout the season, something he hasn’t done since 2018.
Héctor Neris, Archie Bradley and Ian Kennedy all became free agents at the end of the season. Neris reportedly signed a two-year, $17 million deal with the Houston Astros.
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