Reliever supply might not meet demand at the trade deadline. Here are some options for the Phillies.

Imagine the Phillies have a one-run lead and are three outs from winning a playoff game.

Whom do they want on the mound?

That was the biggest question facing Dave Dombrowski and his inner circle Monday, 72 hours before the trade deadline. Because although it was notable that the Phillies were 43-2 with a lead after six innings — and 53-1 when leading after eight — the perception of rival clubs was that they remain focused on getting bullpen help before 6 p.m. Thursday.

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Specifically, the Phillies were targeting swings and misses. Entering the week, they produced the fifth-lowest whiff rate (23.6%) of any bullpen in baseball. By contrast, the starting rotation, led by Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sánchez, had the third-highest rate of swings and misses (27.7%).

But while the inventory of available late-inning relievers once seemed abundant, the week began amid whispers that supply might not meet demand and prices were still higher than J.T. Realmuto’s vertical jump on that play at the plate Sunday in New York.

It surely didn’t help that Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase came off the board Monday. MLB placed him on non-disciplinary paid administrative leave through Aug. 31 as part of an ongoing investigation into sports betting.

Clase might not have gotten traded anyway, according to two major league sources, based on signals that Cleveland was giving in the last few days. Now, though, the chances of him getting traded are the same as Bluto from Animal House’s grade point average: 0.0.

That leaves the Twins’ Jhoan Durán and the Athletics’ Mason Miller as the best (potentially) available closers who are under club control beyond this season. But Minnesota would likely need to be bowled over to move Durán — and probably setup man Griffin Jax. And the A’s have repeatedly shot down suggestions that they will trade Miller.

Even the Pirates are said to be putting a high price on veteran closer David Bednar. Never mind that they’re barreling toward their ninth losing season in 10 years and desperate for offense to keep ace Paul Skenes from eventually asking out.

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Bednar, who turns 31 in October, is an intriguing option on the reliever market. A two-time All-Star, he got demoted to triple A in April. Since his return, he’s 15-for-15 in save opportunities with a 1.50 ERA. He hasn’t allowed an earned run since May 23.

One rival evaluator said Monday that Bednar’s curveball is “back to being what it was, and the command of it has been a big key.” Entering the week, his swing-and-miss rate was 30%, including 39.4% on the curveball. He struck out 50 of 139 batters (36%) since returning from the minors. The Phillies got a firsthand look in June when he struck out four of six batters over two games.

But Bednar, a Pittsburgh native who is immensely popular among Pirates fans, is also a model for the volatility of relievers. One day he’s in triple A; six weeks later, he’s getting Trea Turner to fish for a curve in the dirt.

Which version will a contender get down the stretch?

So, although Bednar is under contract through next season — and conventional wisdom suggests a controllable player is more desirable than one with an expiring contract — some teams might actually prefer renting a closer for two months to buying one for a year and a half.

Consider how Dombrowski reacted recently when asked if he regretted signing only one free-agent reliever (Jordan Romano) despite losing two (Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez), a decision that led to a bullpen search at the trade deadline, when acquisition costs tend to be greater.

“[Orion] Kerkering’s good, [Matt] Strahm’s good, [Tanner] Banks has stepped up for us, so no, not really,” he said. “And the other thing is, they’re one-year deals at this point, so you have the ability to be quite flexible after the season.”

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Maybe it was a hint that the Phillies will target a walk-year closer: the Cardinals’ Ryan Helsley, for instance.

A year ago, the Phillies acquired Estévez at the deadline as a rental from the Angels for midlevel pitching prospects Sam Aldegheri and George Klassen. The 2025 equivalent would look something like Jean Cabrera and Alex McFarlane.

Helsley, 31, recently told reporters that he’s “90%” sure he will get traded, even though the Cardinals remain in the mix for a wild-card spot. A source suggested St. Louis president of baseball operations John Mozeliak could try to thread the needle between buying and selling in his final deadline before stepping aside after the season.

In any case, Helsley’s blazing fastball is more hittable than in previous seasons, with opponents batting .406 and slugging .522 against it. Two evaluators said this week that they suspected his command wasn’t as precise. But there are positive signs. Helsley allowed one run in his last 11 outings entering the week.

Padres closer Robert Suárez is expected to exercise an opt-out in his contract after the season, effectively making him a walk-year closer. It’s doubtful, though, that San Diego would trade him to a fellow National League contender.

(Ironically, the Phillies wouldn’t have won the pennant in 2022 without a ninth-inning rally against Helsley in Game 1 of the wild-card round and Bryce Harper’s “Bedlam at the Bank” homer against Suárez in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series.)

The Phillies remain on the lookout for another bat. They’ve talked with the Diamondbacks about slugger Eugenio Suárez, who would join Kyle Schwarber and Harper in the middle of the order. They also got an up-close look Monday night at Luis Robert Jr., back in the White Sox’s lineup after missing three games with a groin injury.

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But it’s clear to rival teams that the Phillies are focused on another reliever to join Kerkering, Strahm, Banks, and newly signed David Robertson in a postseason bullpen, in addition to a starter (Jesús Luzardo?) who would get bumped from the playoff rotation.

And the clock is ticking.