The Philadelphia Phillies enter the offseason with a clear sense of their bullpen’s limitations and a willingness to explore the trade market rather than relying solely on free agency.
At the center of that discussion is right-hander Jonathan Bowlan, the veteran reliever who has drawn consistent interest from other clubs even as the Phillies continue to value him internally.
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Bowlan has generated regular trade inquiries.
The Phillies still rate the right-hander highly enough that they are not looking to give him away, yet the club appears open to using him as a centerpiece in a larger deal if the return addresses a higher-priority need.
That approach fits the pattern established under president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who has repeatedly turned to the trade market to reinforce late-inning pitching rather than waiting for free-agent options.
The name most frequently linked to those conversations is Milwaukee Brewers closer Trevor Megill.
Megill emerged as an All-Star in 2025 and followed it with another strong campaign, posting a 2.63 ERA and 0.89 WHIP while recording 30 saves.
He was equally effective in the postseason, helping the Brewers capture their first World Series title.
With only one year of club control remaining, Megill represents the kind of high-leverage arm Dombrowski has targeted in the past when building bullpens.
Milwaukee’s own track record suggests a deal is plausible. The Brewers have previously moved closers in the final year before free agency, most notably Josh Hader and Devin Williams.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today has noted that the organization may prefer not to pay Megill what he is likely to command on the open market after 2027, and that the club already possesses internal options such as Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby who could step into high-leverage roles.
For Philadelphia, the calculus is straightforward. The team has already shown it will move established major-league pieces when a meaningful upgrade is available.
Bowlan offers the Brewers a controllable, big-league reliever in return, while Megill would immediately deepen a Phillies bullpen that remains a point of concern despite the presence of Jhoan Duran.
Competition exists—Toronto has also been connected to Megill—but the Phillies’ history of aggressive bullpen trades under the current front office keeps them squarely in the conversation.
Whether a deal materializes will depend on Milwaukee’s asking price and how much value the Brewers place on one more season of Megill.
For now, Bowlan’s name remains active in trade discussions, giving the Phillies a concrete piece of leverage as they look to reshape their late-inning group before opening day.
