The Philadelphia Phillies are shaping up to be a serious challenger to the Los Angeles Dodgers and a potential World Series contender this season. However, they’ll likely need to strengthen their roster to truly compete. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the team is growing concerned about one of their key relievers. This concern could push them to aggressively pursue a trade for a high-leverage bullpen arm.

“The Phillies have become concerned with closer Jordan Romano, who averaged 96.8 mph on his fastball two years ago, but now is down to about 92-94 mph and struggling holding on runners,” Nightengale reported. This drop in velocity and effectiveness helps explain why the Blue Jays chose not to tender Romano a contract last offseason, allowing Philadelphia to sign him to a one-year, $8.5 million deal.

If the Phillies decide Romano isn’t reliable in a high-leverage role, they could target St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley in a trade. Helsley, known for his velocity, is in the final year of his contract and is projected to land a significant deal in free agency—around $81 million, per Spotrac. The Cardinals are unlikely to offer that, making him a potential trade candidate.

Philadelphia lost relievers Carlos Estévez and Jeff Hoffman in free agency and didn’t bring in equal replacements. Acquiring Helsley would not only fill that void but potentially upgrade the bullpen significantly. Though a trade would likely come at a high cost, it could be a move that puts the Phillies over the top.