The Phillies are expected to sign a superstar closer

There is not much left for the Philadelphia Phillies to do this offseason after ensuring their starting rotation is set for the future. Really, the only upgrades they are looking at, barring an unforeseen collapse of the starter market, is within their bullpen unit. After Craig Kimbrel departed to join the Baltimore Orioles in free agency, there is still some need for the Phillies to add another arm.

They were interested in flamethrower Jordan Hicks before he agreed to a contract with the San Francisco Giants. With Philadelphia still searching for that one bullpen piece this offseason, R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports is predicting they land the best reliever on the market, Josh Hader.

“Hader, the best closer on the market, hasn’t surfaced in many rumors this winter … We think that, the longer this drags on, the more likely a contender like the Phillies is to rethink their position and view Hader as a mighty fine finishing touch,” he writes.

The Phillies were seen as an obvious fit to land the left-hander early on, however, based on the deal he’s looking for, there seemingly hasn’t been much dialogue between the two parties.

Hader reportedly wants to get paid more than Edwin Diaz’s five-year, $102 million contract, which is an MLB record for a closer. With Philadelphia already paying the highest payroll in their franchise’s history for the upcoming season, they likely aren’t interested in shelling out that much money for one reliever.

His 1.28 ERA last year across 61 appearances and his career ERA of 2.50 over seven Major League seasons, suggests that he perhaps deserves the type of deal he’s looking for this winter. However, the market has been noticeably quiet. Maybe this allows the Phillies to pounce when his asking price decreases, and they’re able to land the final piece to their bullpen, who also happens to be one of the best in the game.