Baseball America released a piece last week naming 20 players who might benefit from a fresh start in a new organization before the Aug. 3 deadline — one-time highly-ranked prospects who haven't yet become what the scouting reports promised, players whose tools still project as big-league contributors, just not in their current environment. Andrew Painter belongs on that list, maybe even near the top.
The numbers from his 2026 MLB debut haven’t been what everyone hoped for — a 7.06 ERA across 14 appearances before being optioned back to Triple-A. The talent that made him the Phillies' 13th-overall pick in 2021 hasn't translated at the highest level yet, and there's a real argument that a change of scenery, a fresh organizational eye, and a clearer path forward could unlock what everyone still believes is in there. Dave Dombrowski has a decision to make: hold Painter and hope the development curve bends his way in Philadelphia, or move him now at a price point that brings back something the 2026 roster actually needs. If he can convince someone to believe, here are three trades that make that calculus work.
3 Andrew Painter change-of-scenery trades that make sense for Phillies
Phillies land Spencer Steer from Cincinnati
Steer is exactly the right-handed, power-hitting bat the Phillies need, and Bob Nightengale confirmed this week that Cincinnati is receiving plenty of interest in him across the league. The 28-year-old is hitting .247 with 14 home runs in 2026, and complements a potent Cincy line-up (at times), and absolutely destroys left-handed pitching — a .342 average and 1.062 OPS against southpaws. He's under team control through 2028, which means the ask is real, but that's also why this trade makes sense for Cincinnati. A Steer wrist injury suffered Sunday complicates matters, but he's under control through 2028.
The Reds have one of the most ambitious young rotations in baseball — Hunter Greene fronts things, Chase Burns just signed a seven-year, $105 million extension, Rhett Lowder could be a legitimate young frontline arm, and Andrew Abbott is one of the more underrated pitchers in the NL. The one looming question is what happens when Brady Singer walks as a free agent after this season — and that's where Painter walks in. A former first-round arm with a five-pitch arsenal, major league experience and fresh organizational eyes to develop him is exactly what Cincinnati would be betting on. Painter plus a secondary prospect addresses the Singer succession question in one move.
Phillies land a bullpen arm from the Rockies
Colorado is in full sell mode under new president Paul DePodesta, and the Phillies' bullpen has a gap with Brad Keller out for most of the rest of 2026. Antonio Senzatela has become one of the more surprising relief stories in baseball this year after struggling as a starter — Jeff Passan said that he's a free agent and "as good as gone." Meanwhile, Hunter Goodman represents the right-handed catching power that every contender wants, but nobody can seem to land from Colorado because the asking price is always too steep.
The Rockies don't need Painter as a franchise piece — they're rebuilding for 2028 and beyond. But a former first-round arm at the bottom of his market value, with years of team control and real upside, is exactly the type of asset a rebuilding organization stockpiles. Painter plus a mid-system name makes the Senzatela rental workable. For Goodman, the ask gets higher and Painter alone may not move the needle — but it starts the conversation.
Phillies land a right-handed bat from the Angels
The Angels are sellers, Jorge Soler is a free agent after the season, and the right-handed power bat the Phillies desperately need is sitting in Anaheim hitting 11 home runs with a nearly a .700 OPS in a lost season for a franchise going nowhere in 2026. Soler's 2026 numbers don't tell the whole story — he's a two-time World Series champion with the "World Series MVP" postseason experience the Phillies covet, and a track record of producing in high-leverage moments. John Mozeliak is approaching his first trade deadline as Angels GM with an uncertain mandate, but the team is clearly unloading expiring deals.
For the Angels — who are starting a development cycle of their own — a former first-round pitcher with a legitimate major league arsenal is more valuable than a veteran DH with a declining season.
If Painter lands in the right place, hopefully it will be an environment that gives him the runway to rediscover what made him one of the most compelling pitching prospects in the sport. In that case, Philly can get a strategic need and move on from a prospect they haven’t developed to his potential yet. The market is always tight, but Painter might be exactly what starts the right conversation.
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