Andrew Painter made his first start back in the big leagues on Friday, and he gave the Philadelphia Phillies hope for the now and the future. The former top prospect may have changed the entire outlook of the trade deadline for Philadelphia in the span of a few hours.
Painter was sent down on June 17th after a two-inning start against the Miami Marlins where he allowed six runs. The start to his MLB career had been a real struggle; he had a 7.06 ERA after 13 appearances.
Painter was good in AAA as he progressed through the adjustments that needed to be made. He started five games in the minors after being sent down, allowing more than two runs just once.
The Phillies recalled Painter on Friday to make his first MLB start in six weeks. That’s when he showed what Phillies fans were hoping for when he originally made his debut.
Painter looked shaky early, allowing a double and a home run to the first two batters. Phillies fans were expecting the worst, but that never came. He retired 17 of the next 21 batters. He ended up pitching six innings, allowing just the two runs and three hits. He struck out six hitters.
The Phillies were planning on needing to address the starting rotation by Mondays trade deadline, but the start by Painter may change that. They obviously can’t completely rely on one start from a 23 year old pitcher as a turning point, but it give them a reason for optimism.
If Painter can be a steady number five starter, Dave Dombrowski will be able to address other parts of the roster at the deadline.
Instead of using valuable prospects for a starter, he can turn his focus to helping the bullpen, which blew Painter’s start against Baltimore. A late-inning reliever is absolutely the most important position that needs to be addressed at the deadline.
The other obvious position of need is the outfield, or really any addition to help the lineup. A RF makes the most sense, but Bryce Harper has already made it clear he will move back to the outfield if needed.
Check out our full list of 20 Phillies trade targets
The easiest pathway to contention for the Phillies this season is to have Painter be a reliable piece of the rotation. The trade deadline becomes much easier for Dombrowski if he has a fifth starter already and doesn’t need to trade for one. Addressing the lineup and bullpen concerns should be the main priorities heading into the MLB trade deadline.
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