The Phillies’ second-half slide has put the spotlight squarely on one part of the roster: the rotation.
Philadelphia has dropped eight of its last nine games and 11 of 14 since the All-Star break, and with the Aug. 1 deadline looming, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is under real pressure to find help. The club has plenty of issues to sort through, but the one thing it is reportedly chasing above all else is another arm for the mound.
According to Matt Gelb and Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic (subscription required), the Phillies have made starting pitching their priority in trade discussions.
“It might be temporary; MLB’s trade deadline is Monday, and league sources have indicated the Phillies have prioritized another starter in trade talks,” they wrote, referencing Andrew Painter being recalled to start on July 31 in the series opener against the Baltimore Orioles.
Painter gave Philadelphia exactly the kind of outing it has been searching for. After a rough first half that led to a demotion to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the former top prospect turned in six effective innings, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks.
Pete Alonso accounted for the damage, tagging Painter for a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. After that, Painter settled down and finished the outing with five scoreless frames and six strikeouts.
It was a much-needed step forward for the young right-hander, but there’s still no guarantee it leads to a longer stay in the majors. Unless the Phillies decide to go with a six-man rotation or shift someone to the bullpen, Painter could be headed back to Triple-A soon.
That uncertainty is part of why another starter makes so much sense. The back end of the rotation has been shaky all year, and Philadelphia hasn’t won a game started by anyone other than Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler or Jesus Luzardo since June 24.
That run has to stop quickly if the Phillies want to stay in the postseason race. And adding one of the names reportedly available - Kevin Gausman of the Toronto Blue Jays or New York Mets pitchers Clay Holmes and Freddy Peralta - would at least give the rotation a better chance to steady itself.
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Phillies Roster Shuffle Just Put Several Depth Pieces In Trouble
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The moves opened space for Luis Arraez, Caleb Kilian and Brooks Raley, a trio that reshapes the immediate roster math and pushes the displaced players into an uncertain holding pattern. Henry, Trivino and Hoffman can still be traded before the deadline or end up on waivers, but for now they are the latest names caught in the churn as the Phillies keep adjusting around the edges. [Read more 🡒]
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For Philadelphia, the bigger question now is less about the trade itself and more about where everyone fits once the new pieces are in place. The infield already had some moving parts, and this addition only sharpens the uncertainty around who settles at second, how the corners are arranged and whether the middle infield gets pushed into a new alignment. [Read more 🡒]