The MLB trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and that means the rumors are heating around one of the best pitchers in baseball, Tarik Skubal. The Detroit Tigers' star lefty is the top name on every team's board, and that should include the Philadelphia Phillies. The Tigers are going to try to extract every bit of talent they can if they ship out the two-time Cy Young winner, and a deal won't come cheap, even with only two months of control attached. There may be at least a little more certainty after Wednesday's insider update about what exactly would fit the mold for a potential Phillies-Tigers blockbuster deal.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Tigers would be looking to receive controllable starting pitching and top prospects in return to replace Skubal (subscription required). One of those names that Rosenthal mentions to fit that mold is Phillies' former top pitching prospect Andrew Painter.
Phillies have better sense of cost to acquire star left-hander Tarik Skubal
Having one of an insider's perceived potential fits for a deal is at least a start if the Phillies want to truly entertain Skubal donning the red and white pinstripes come August. An issue that the Phillies might run into is finding the other top prospects the Tigers would be looking for to supplement the package. They don't have the deepest well to pull from outside of Painter, and Aidan Miller's injury and Gage Wood's necessity to the operation have thrown a wrench in things.
Coming into the 2026 regular season, the Phillies ranked 20th among all farm systems in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. Now, they rank anywhere from 15th (Keith Law) to 29th (Baseball America midseason re-rank). Painter has since debuted, but was roughed up before being sent down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He pitched to a 7.06 ERA and 1.66 WHIP in 14 games, 12 of which were starts. It's not a great sample size to sell to a buyer, but Painter retains a lot of value given his rookie status. The Phillies would be sad to see their top pitching prospect leave, but the potential return would be even greater.
Skubal hasn't been his usual self in his contract year, but was forced to miss a month due to having loose bodies removed from his throwing elbow. In 14 starts, Skubal has sported a 6-5 record, a 2.83 ERA, and 98 strikeouts in 82 2/3 innings. He's rounded back into form now with only days until Aug. 3. The Phillies have a desperate need for a fifth starter, and there's no better way to resolve that problem than by slotting in a top pitcher in MLB and sliding everyone else in behind him.
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