Over the last couple of seasons, the Philadelphia Phillies have been rumored to make a move to shake up their outfield. David Schoenfield of ESPN has added some light fuel to the fire, naming Minnesota Twins' slugger Byron Buxton as a target the Phillies could acquire prior to the trade deadline.
As the Phillies sit atop the National League East, their eyes remain on the big prize at the end of October. However, there is plenty of baseball to play until then and a lot can happen. With the trade deadline looming, Philadelphia is expected to be active — adding to their roster to make another deep playoff run.
One hot name the Phillies had been linked to previously was Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox. Those headlines dwindled after no deal was made and Robert's health was in limbo. Still, the need for help in the outfield remains.
Phillies could land Byron Buxton from Twins, but it would cost Andrew Painter
Buxton is another All-Star in the American League Central the Phillies could add at the deadline to bring more depth and power to the lineup. In fact, Schoenfield believes the Phillies are the team that could get the deal done. But the same injury concerns remain, and the price tag could be more than desirable.
Schoenfield believes the Phillies are one of three teams that could make a trade with the Twins to acquire Home Run Derby participant and now two-time All-Star Byron Buxton. The cost to do so, though, would be the top prospect in the system, right-handed starter Andrew Painter, and top outfield prospect Justin Crawford.
Painter was drafted 13th overall by the Phillies in 2021 and is currently with Triple-A Lehigh Valley being groomed to become a key part of the rotation in the future. While the price tag is high, Passan believes the Phillies are in a good spot with their rotation moving forward if Painter were to be traded.
"Trading Painter would be painful," Schoenfield says. "But the Phillies remain deep in the rotation with Zack Wheeler (signed through 2027), Cristopher Sanchez (signed through 2030), Aaron Nola (signed through 2030) and Jesus Luzardo (under team control through 2026)."
The other piece from the Phillies of the proposed trade would be sending Crawford, the team's No. 3 prospect, to Minnesota. Crawford is batting .343 for Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 68 games. He's projected by MLB to arrive to the big leagues in 2026, although a debut this season isn't out of the question if the situation warrants.
Trading for Buxton adds power, but there are major health concerns
On the other side of the coin, Buxton is signed through the 2028 season, so this would be more than just a rental. His .879 OPS and 20 home runs would complement the Phillies' lineup nicely. However, Buxton has played 100+ games in a season just twice in his career. The same injury concern as Robert Jr. has to apply, if not more so.
Byron Buxton bashes his 20th 💪 pic.twitter.com/FAoUvtVXtt
— MLB (@MLB) July 6, 2025
When healthy, Buxton is one of the best defensive center fielders in all of baseball. The Phillies have underproduced from the center field position for years. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski knows that 2025 is an all-in season. This move is high-risk; would it translate to the ultimate reward?