The Philadelphia Phillies could be the team to beat in the National League this fall, depending on what happens this week.
The Major League Baseball trade deadline ends on July 31st, and the Phillies need to make a few trades.
In 2022, Philadelphia reached the World Series but fell to the Houston Astros in six games. The Phillies have attempted to return to the Fall Classic over the last two years but have fallen short.
This could be the last year the Phillies have to win the World Series with their current core, and the team may consider trading young players to acquire proven starters. One player that could be traded is minor league pitcher Andrew Painter, and Christopher Kline from Fansided thinks it’s a real possibility.
“Okay, this is a stretch. But we are talking about Dave Dombrowski, who made his name on big, bold moves that defied convention and threw caution to the wind. That isn’t really his personality anymore, but the Phillies are running out of time with this core and pitching depth really isn’t a problem, especially if Ranger Suárez lands the extension he very publicly wants,” Kline wrote. “Painter is the top prospect in Philly’s farm system and No. 8 overall at MLB Pipeline. They aren’t going to trade him for a random Joe in left field or a nice rental in the bullpen. But if there’s a proper star that becomes available unexpectedly, it’s in Dombrowski’s nature to explore his options. I am skeptical that Painter has any chance of being moved for a name like Eugenio Suárez or Jhoan Durán, but we’ve seen surprise blockbusters in July before. We cannot rule this out.”
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If the Phillies are going to deal Painter, then they are going to have to get a big-time star back.
Most teams will only part ways with their No. 1 prospect if they are getting a proven All-Star, which is what the Phillies are going to need to deal their young pitcher.
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