Phillies, Blue Jays, Giants Have Shown Interest In Teoscar Hernandez
The Phillies, Giants and Blue Jays are among the teams that touched base with the Mariners regarding Teoscar Hernández, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com (Twitter link). Morosi indicates upwards of six teams have been involved and that a deal involving Hernández before tomorrow’s deadline looks increasingly probable.
None of that registers as a surprise. Seattle has hinted at potentially dealing short-term veterans for a couple weeks. They began that by sending Paul Sewald to Arizona for three controllable hitters this afternoon. While Sewald had an extra year of arbitration, Hernández is a few months from the open market.
The veteran outfielder is amidst a down season. He carries a .238/.288/.408 batting line through 441 plate appearances into play Monday night. He’s connected on 16 home runs but is striking out a lofty 32% clip, his highest mark since 2019. Hernández got off to a dreadful start to his Seattle tenure. He’d seemed to turn the corner with a .303/.376/.573 showing in June before a massive .198/.248/.287 slump this month.
Despite the middling season, Hernández is a straightforward change-of-scenery target. He hit .283/.333/.519 through his last three years in Toronto. While his offensive numbers have collapsed this year, he’s arguably playing the best defense of his career. Hernández has rated as a below-average right fielder for the bulk of his career but gotten solid marks (+5 Defensive Runs Saved, +1 run above average per Statcast) across 801 1/3 innings there this year.
Each of the teams linked to his market has expressed an interest in adding some right-handed punch. It’d be a bit surprising to see the Blue Jays circle back on Hernández nine months after trading him, but the acquisition cost this summer would be much lower than what they received from Seattle (reliever Erik Swanson and pitching prospect Adam Macko). Toronto has left-handed hitting Daulton Varsho and Brandon Belt at left field and designated hitter, respectively, though Varsho has been better against same-handed pitching this season.
Philadelphia is openly targeting a right-handed hitting corner outfielder. With Bryce Harper able to play first base, they’re looking to move Kyle Schwarber to DH and add some pop in left field. They’ve also been linked to the Mets’ Tommy Pham and Red Sox’s Adam Duvall.
San Francisco and Seattle are frequent trade partners. They just lined up a deal this evening that sent AJ Pollock and Mark Mathias to the Bay Area. Pollock is having a poor enough season that Hernández could still be of interest. San Francisco will be without Mitch Haniger into September and just placed Mike Yastrzemski on the injured list for the third time this season. They have Austin Slater on hand as a right-handed hitting outfielder but enough short-term uncertainty in left field to make Hernández a potential fit.
Hernández is making $14MM this season. He’s due around $4.67MM through year’s end.
Phillies Interested In Adam Duvall
The Phillies are scouting Red Sox outfielder Adam Duvall, reports Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. That would align with Philadelphia’s reported interest in adding a right-handed bat.
Duvall, 34, signed with the Sox in January to help them cover center field. His deal came with a $7MM guarantee and incentives based on plate appearances. With shortstop Trevor Story having undergone elbow surgery, their plan was to move Enrique Hernández from center to shortstop, with Duvall and Raimel Tapia brought aboard to help out in center.
Through eight games, Duvall had apparently activated god mode, hitting .455/.514/1.030. Unfortunately, he then suffered a fractured wrist and wasn’t able to return until June. Since then, he’s hit a far more earthly .211/.279/.395. That’s been a running theme for Duvall, who has occasionally looked great at the plate but has also been held back by injuries. He hit 38 home runs in 2021 but then followed that up with diminished results last year while missing roughly half the season due to wrist surgery.
But the fact that the Phils are interested is sensible. As mentioned, they are looking for a right-handed bat, which would be a good fit for their lineup. They have many lefties getting regular action, with Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh and Jake Cave all hitting from that side. Adding another right-handed bat into the mix could allow the club to shield some in that group from lefties on occasion, either by platooning or pinch-hitting.
From the Red Sox’ perspective, they aren’t under any obligation to trade Duvall. He is an impending free agent, but they are in the thick of a postseason race, 2.5 games behind the Blue Jays and Astros for a Wild Card spot. It was reported yesterday that the club has no interest in trading Justin Turner, who is also likely to hit free agency this fall by declining a player option. The Sox could take the same approach with Duvall and simply hold him for their playoff push.
But there’s also a case for cashing him in, if they get a compelling offer. While Duvall was on the injured list, Jarren Duran seemingly cemented himself as a viable major leaguer in center. The 26-year-old struggled in his first tastes of major league pitching but has broken out with a .311/.363/.500 showing this year, stealing 21 bases to boot with roughly average defense. Alongside Masataka Yoshida and Alex Verdugo, the Sox could consider themselves set in the outfield.
All three of those guys hit from the left side, so perhaps Boston could still utilize Duvall as a right-handed complement to them. But they already have Rob Refsnyder on the roster for essentially the same reason. He’s hit .358/.475/.457 against southpaws this year and .276/.381/.390 in his career. He and the club already agreed to a contract for 2024 with a club option for 2025. Each of Yoshida, Duran and Verdugo are either under contract or club control next year as well.
Perhaps the Sox would consider moving on from Duvall and rolling with that group as its outfield mix, maybe exchanging him for pitching or a prospect. It’s unclear if the Sox have interest in that but they have already reportedly received interest from Atlanta and now Philadelphia as well. If the Phillies can’t get a deal done on Duvall, other options include Tommy Pham and Randal Grichuk. The trade deadline is August 1.
Phillies Designate Noah Song For Assignment
The Phillies announced that Noah Song has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list, and the right-hander has now been designated for assignment. As a Rule 5 Draft pick, a team that claims Song must keep him on their active roster for the remainder of the season, or else Song’s rights will revert to the Red Sox (his original team) unless a proper trade is worked out. The Red Sox will also have Song’s rights automatically offered back if he clears DFA waivers.
Song was a fourth-round pick for the Sox in the 2019 draft, and after making his pro debut with 17 innings for Boston’s low-A affiliate that season, he then entered the Navy to fulfill his duty requirements as a member of the Naval Academy. This military service covered three years, and Song then restarted his baseball career after being transferred to the selective reserves. Some part-time active duty was still required, leading to some questions about how this status might work within the context of a minor league season after the Phillies selected him in the R5, though it became something of a moot point due to Song’s lengthy stint on the IL.
A back strain sidelined Song during Spring Training, and eventually led to his placement on the 60-day IL. During his rehab assignments, Song posted a 7.36 ERA over 11 combined innings at A-ball, Double-A, and Triple-A, with 11 walks and 16 strikeouts. It wasn’t enough for the Phillies to keep a roster spot for Song, and he’ll now hit the DFA wire for either a new stop in his career. Song’s past status as a highly-touted prospect might draw another team’s interest, though between his back injury and the issue of his military duty, it also seems possible that he’ll just end up back in Boston’s organization.
MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: The Angels Are All In, Lucas Giolito and Picking a Lane
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:
- Angels are in: They take Shohei Ohtani off the market, trade for Lucas Giolito (1:10)
- Several teams still in the mushy middle: Cubs, Yankees, Diamondbacks (10:15)
- Reds reportedly willing to trade Jonathan India, or are they? (17:10)
- What are the Padres doing with Blake Snell and Josh Hader? (21:45)
Plus, we answer your questions, including:
- Do you see the Marlins being sellers or buyers? (23:25)
- Who are the Phillies targeting and who would they give up prior to the deadline? (26:35)
- Who do the Tigers end up trading? And what can we expect in return? (28:50)
Check out our past episodes!
- All Eyes on the Angels, Cardinals Trade Options and Buyers or Sellers – listen here
- Top Deadline Trade Candidates, Ohtani Trade Potential and the Slipping Rays – listen here
- Free Agent Power Rankings and Aroldis Chapman to the Rangers – listen here
Eduardo Rodriguez Drawing Widespread Trade Interest
With the trade deadline now just a few days away, Tigers starter Eduardo Rodriguez is drawing plenty of trade interest. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that scouts from several rival clubs having been keeping an eye on him, with the Rangers, Rays, Reds, Phillies and Diamondbacks among those keeping tabs.
It’s unsurprising that Rodriguez, 30, is garnering attention around the league. He’s been a solid major league starter for many years and is having arguably his best season to date. Coming into this year, he had thrown 947 2/3 innings with a 4.15 earned run average, striking out 23.9% of batters faced while walking 8.1% of them and keeping the ball on the ground at a 41.2% clip. Here in 2023, he has a 2.95 ERA, nudging his strikeout rate to 25.9% and lowering his walk rate to 6%, that latter number being a career best by a full point.
Those numbers would fit great in just about every rotation around the league. What makes his situation unique is his contract. He’s not a rental in a strict sense but will be treated similarly to one. The Tigers signed him to a five-year, $77MM deal going into 2022, but that deal gave him the ability to opt out after the second year. That opt-out opportunity is now just a few months away, when he will have to decide between hanging onto the three years and $49MM left on his contract versus returning to the open market.
The last time he was a free agent, he was coming off a season in which he had a 4.74 ERA and had rejected a qualifying offer. This time, it seems like he will have the ability to return to free agency with a stronger platform year and no QO attached, since players aren’t allowed to receive more than one in their careers. He will be two years older and the underlying numbers of his 2021 season were still strong, but all the factors taken into consideration would seem to point to him having a strong shot of getting past that $49MM guarantee in free agency. The most recent offseason saw mid-rotation pitchers like Chris Bassitt, Taijuan Walker and Jameson Taillon get between $63MM and $72MM, with Rodriguez having an argument for being in that range as well.
With that being the case, it makes sense for the Tigers to consider moving him for talent that can help them in future seasons. Their record is currently 46-55, which only puts them 6.5 games off the lead in the weak AL Central, but FanGraphs only gives them a 1.7% chance of making the playoffs with Baseball Prospectus at 0.3%.
The tricky thing is that, unlike other rental players, there’s more downside for the acquiring club. Although Rodriguez is trending towards opting out, there’s a chance he could experience a downturn in results or suffer an injury that causes him to take the bird in the hand. That’s something that other clubs would have to take into consideration when discussing deals, and it’s possible the Tigers get a lesser return than if Rodriguez were simply in the final year of his contract. The injury question mark is always a factor with pitchers and certainly with Rodriguez, who has only once topped 160 innings in a season.
Complications aside, each of the listed clubs would surely love to have Rodriguez in their rotation for the stretch run. The Rangers have lost Jacob deGrom and Jake Odorizzi to season-ending injuries, which has put a couple of dents in their depth. Dane Dunning has stepped up and has an ERA of 3.18 this year, but a 15.4% strikeout rate that casts some doubt on its sustainability. Martín Pérez and Andrew Heaney are each having lackluster seasons as well, with their respective ERAs hovering just under 5.00. They are still leading the AL West but the Astros are only two games back, with the Angels also aggressively making a push. They’ve already been connected to starters, with reported interest in Lance Lynn of the White Sox.
The Rays have some strong elements to their rotation with Shane McClanahan, Tyler Glasnow, Taj Bradley and Zach Eflin in four spots, but Eflin has dealt with persistent knee issues in his career and underwent an MRI on his left knee yesterday. It’s unclear if that will be a serious problem, but they are already without Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen for the rest of the season, with Josh Fleming on the 60-day IL as well. Like the Rangers, they’ve also been connected to Lynn in their pursuit of more starting pitching. They have slipped behind Baltimore in the East but still hold the top Wild Card spot in the American League.
The Reds have known for some time to be in the market for pitching, which makes plenty of sense. They were hoping to have their rotation fronted by Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo but both have been on the IL for a while now with at least a few more weeks until their expected returns. Other starters like Justin Dunn and Connor Overton are on the IL with them. Luke Weaver is still clinging to a rotation spot despite his 7.20 ERA on the year, leaving plenty of room for an upgrade. They are currently holding a Wild Card spot and are just a game and a half behind the Brewers in the Central division.
The Phillies have a solid group of five in Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez, but their depth has been weakened by the Tommy John surgery of Andrew Painter and the struggles of Bailey Falter. The only member of their current rotation than can be optioned is Sanchez, who has a 2.98 ERA but a 4.06 FIP. But perhaps someone could wind up in the bullpen or they simply use a six-man rotation for a while. They currently hold one of the Wild Card spots in the tight NL race.
The Diamondbacks have a top-heavy rotation with Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly at the front. Brandon Pfaadt was one of the top pitching prospects in the league coming into the year but has an 8.81 ERA through his first seven starts. Tommy Henry has a 4.01 ERA but with uninspiring peripherals and a 5.14 FIP. Ryne Nelson’s ERA is is 4.97. General manager Mike Hazen has already admitted the club will pursue pitching upgrades. It remains to be seen how aggressive they will be since they’ve been struggling lately, but they are still just half a game out of the playoff picture.
Andrew Painter Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
5:55pm: The surgery has now taken place, with the Phillies releasing a statement that says Painter “underwent successful right elbow ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction with ulnar nerve transposition surgery with Dr. Neil ElAttrache today in Los Angeles.” They list the typical timeline as 15 to 18 months.
3:25pm: The Phillies announced to reporters that pitching prospect Andrew Painter will undergo Tommy John surgery today in Los Angeles, performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, with Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer among those to relay the news.
The news isn’t a shock, as it was reported last week that the surgery was recommended to the youngster. It was relayed at that time that he would seek a second opinion from ElAttrache before going under the knife. It seems that the doctor seconded the recommendation of the team and Painter will indeed proceed with the surgery.
Both Painter and the Phils tried their best to avoid this fate, as the righty was diagnosed with a sprain of his right ulnar collateral ligament during Spring Training. Teams generally only pursue surgery as a last resort and he was initially recommended for a non-surgical path forward, which included a four-week shutdown period. But his later attempts to ramp-up came with renewed discomfort and he could no longer avoid the worst-case scenario.
Painter came into the season considered one of the top pitching prospects in the sport and seemed to have a chance to crack the Opening Day rotation in Philadelphia, despite the fact that he wasn’t going to turn 20 until the early parts of the season. But now he’ll miss all of 2023 and possibly all of 2024 as well, likely pushing his debut until 2025, his age-22 season.
NL East Notes: Candelario, Marlins, Pham, Phillies, Dominguez, Hoskins
The Marlins have interest in Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that Miami views “Candelario as a perfect fit.” With a cumulative -0.9 bWAR posted by Marlins third basemen this season, no team has received less from the hot corner than the Fish, as Jean Segura‘s resurgence over the last few weeks haven’t been enough to erase his very rough performance over the first three months. Segura could move into a utility role in the event of a Candelario trade, as Luis Arraez is a lineup fixture at second base, Jorge Soler is primarily a DH, and the hot-hitting Garrett Cooper is the primary first baseman.
Candelario is one of the more obvious trade candidates available heading into the deadline, as the Nationals are out of the race and Candelario will be a free agent after the season. After a poor 2022 season with the Tigers, Candelario has bounced back nicely to hit .254/.333/.474 with 15 homers over 390 plate appearances with Washington. He is owed roughly $1.8MM in remaining salary this season, which is a modest sum anyway but shouldn’t be a problem for the Marlins — owner Bruce Sherman has promised financial “resources” for deadline additions. Of course, Sherman’s statement came before Miami suffered through an eight-game losing streak out of the All-Star break, but the Fish got back into the win column with today’s 3-2 win over the Rockies.
More from around the NL East…
- Speaking of possible inter-division trades, Bob Nightengale also writes that the Phillies “would love to land” Mets outfielder Tommy Pham. The Phillies are known to be looking for right-handed hitting, with an outfielder as an ideal fit if Bryce Harper is able to settle in as a first baseman. Pham has an excellent .272/.356/.475 slash line and nine home runs over 250 PA with New York this season, making him an interesting rental target for several teams. The 46-52 Mets appear to be poised to be deadline sellers in some fashion, and pending free agents like Pham are the likeliest players to be moved as the Amazins look to reload for 2024. However, Pham has missed New York’s last few games with a groin injury, though he is expected to be back in action Tuesday.
- Along these same lines, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times figures the Rays will check in on Mets reliever David Robertson. Around $3.6MM remains on the one-year, $10MM free agent deal Robertson signed with New York last winter, and the veteran righty is a known quantity in Tampa after pitching for the Rays in 2021.
- Seranthony Dominguez is set to throw a second rehab outing today, as the Phillies right-hander might be nearing a return from the 15-day injured list. According to Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Dominguez might be activated as early as Monday if he is feeling good after today’s Triple-A game. Dominguez has been sidelined since mid-June due to an oblique strain. Coffey also provided an update on Rhys Hoskins, who will be traveling with the Phils on road trips for the remainder of the season as something of a mental release from the grind of his rehab. Hoskins tore his left ACL during Spring Training and is expected to miss the entire season, but the first baseman is still hoping for a possible return if the Phillies make the playoffs.
Phillies Continuing Search For Right-Handed Bat
The Phillies remain interested in adding a right-handed hitter with the trade deadline approaching, writes Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Ideally, that acquisition would be a corner outfielder, though that’s contingent on Bryce Harper.
The Phils plugged Harper in at first base for tonight’s game in Cleveland. It’s the two-time MVP’s first defensive action of the season. He had been limited to 62 games as a designated hitter after last November’s Tommy John surgery.
Hitting puts far less stress on the UCL in Harper’s right elbow than throwing does. The Phils gave him two months of bat-only work as a result. They’re still not ready to plug him back into right field and it’s unclear if he’ll be able to man the outfield grass at any point in 2023.
Even if he can’t play right field, demonstrating an ability to consistently play first base over the next week and a half would be a major boost for the front office. With Harper at DH, the Phils have had to use Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber as their corner outfield pairing. Even with an excellent defensive center field combination of Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas (or Cristian Pache when healthy), that’s a suboptimal defensive alignment.
Schwarber’s -18 Defensive Runs Saved ranks last among all major league outfielders. The Phils would certainly prefer to keep him at DH, where he’s in the lineup tonight.
Assuming they’re comfortable with Harper’s form over the coming days, Philadelphia could look for right-handed hitting outfield help. Tommy Pham and Mark Canha have been the subject of trade chatter with the Mets scuffling. There could be some complications in pulling off an intra-division swap, though the Mets are only in position to consider moving Pham and Canha because they’re long shots to make the playoffs in 2023 regardless.
Randal Grichuk could move as an impending free agent on a last place Colorado team; as MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently explored, Grichuk is having a decent season against left-handed pitching and would be a much better defender than Schwarber. The Mariners’ middling year might lead them to consider offers on Teoscar Hernández, though he’s another bat-first player with limited defensive utility. Oakland’s Ramón Laureano is still hitting for some power against lefties amidst a dismal season overall; he has been on the injured list for a month but seems likely to be back before the August 1 deadline since he’s on a rehab stint.
Philadelphia certainly isn’t without right-handed hitters who can do damage. Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Castellanos and Alec Bohm all hit from that side of the plate. Nevertheless, the Phils have been a slightly below-average lineup against lefty pitching. Entering play Friday, they raked 16th with a .253 average against southpaws. They’re 25th with a .306 on-base percentage and ninth in slugging at .434. That overall offensive output, as measured by wRC+, ranks 18th.
Phillies Sign Shaun Anderson To Minor League Deal
The Phillies have signed right-hander Shaun Anderson to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been pitching for the KBO’s Kia Tigers this year but was released a couple of weeks ago.
Anderson, 28, has a bit of major league experience. He appeared in 63 games from 2019 to 2022, suiting up for the Giants, Twins, Orioles, Padres and Blue Jays. He registered a combined 5.84 earned run average in that time, along with a 17.1% strikeout rate, 9.9% walk rate and 41% ground ball rate. Though he broke in as a starter, he moved to more of a relief role over time.
The righty was outrighted by the Blue Jays last summer and qualified for free agency at season’s end. He then signed with the Kia Tigers and headed to Korea this year, posting solid results there as he returned to a starting role. He was able to make 14 starts, tossing 79 innings with a 3.76 ERA. His strikeout and walk numbers were fairly similar to his MLB work, but he was able to get grounders at a 61.7% clip.
Despite those solid results, Anderson was put on waivers when the Tigers signed Thomas Pannone. KBO teams are only allowed three roster spots for non-Korean players and the club decided to nudge Anderson out in favor of Pannone.
Anderson will now make his way back to North America, presumably to join Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the near future. The Phillies’ rotation consists of Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suárez, Taijuan Walker and Cristopher Sánchez, but their depth recently took a hit as prospect Andrew Painter has been recommended for Tommy John surgery. Anderson will give the club another non-roster option to potentially call upon should the need arise, though they could also move him back to a relief role.
If Anderson is able to make it onto Philly’s roster at any point, he has one option year remaining and just under two years of major league service time, meaning he could be cheaply retained for future seasons as well.
Tommy John Surgery Recommended For Phillies’ Andrew Painter
The Phillies announced this morning that their medical staff has recommended an ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (i.e. Tommy John surgery) and ulnar nerve transposition procedure for top pitching prospect Andrew Painter. He’ll receive a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache next week before proceeding with the operation. Assuming he indeed undergoes the surgery, he’ll miss the remainder of the 2023 season and quite possibly the majority of the 2024 campaign.
“Right-handed pitcher Andrew Painter has been undergoing conservative management for a right elbow partial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury since March 2, 2023,” the Phillies stated in a press release. “While he was able to return to throwing bullpens and follow-up imaging has shown interval healing in his elbow, over the last few weeks, he continues to be symptomatic upon examination. Considering the timing of the season and that Painter is still experiencing symptoms, the Phillies medical staff has recommended he undergo a right elbow UCL reconstruction with ulnar nerve transposition surgery. Painter has a surgical consult with Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday, July 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, Calif.”
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski indicated last night that Painter was no longer being viewed as a rotation option for the current season, though at the time Dombrowski did not divulge this recommendation. Fans will surely be frustrated, given that Painter’s UCL injury was first diagnosed back in March, but surgery is always a last resort. As common as Tommy John procedures have become, a pitcher’s full recovery is hardly guaranteed. We frequently see pitchers take longer than 12 to 14 months to recover due to setbacks and/or return with diminished stuff. Noah Syndergaard stands out as one prominent recent example of both scenarios.
The Phillies consulted with outside medical experts back in March, and all involved parties agreed on a conservative approach with Painter, knowing full well this could be the eventual outcome. While certainly not unforeseeable, the setback is still a blow to the Phillies’ future.
Painter entered the season lauded as one of the sport’s top prospects at any position. The 2021 first-rounder breezed through three minor league levels last year as a 19-year-old, posting a combined 1.56 ERA through Low-A, High-A and Double-A. Along the way, he fanned a massive 38.7% of his opponents against a tidy 6.2% walk rate.
That huge showing not only catapulted Painter up national prospect rankings — it thrust him into competition to claim the No. 5 spot in the Philadelphia rotation this spring and make his MLB debut before even celebrating his 20th birthday. The spring elbow injury derailed that trajectory though, and Painter’s earliest path to the Majors is now likely in 2025. He’d require at least 12 to 14 months to recover from surgery, and the Phillies would surely be cautious with his rehab and any minor league innings next season as he builds back up late in the summer.
Given Painter’s injury and the struggles of left-hander Bailey Falter, rotation help could be a major focus for Dombrowski and his staff in advance of the Aug. 1 trade deadline. Falter opened the season in the rotation but has since been optioned to Triple-A. Fellow lefty Cristopher Sanchez has performed well in six starts since being given an opportunity, but the Phils have received less quality than hoped from top starters Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker — all of whom have an ERA between 4.00 and 4.27. Ranger Suarez has fared a bit better (3.84 ERA) but also been limited to 12 starts due to injury.
The Phils have a solid quintet of starters right now, but the depth beyond that group is shakier. Adding a proven starter to stabilize things surely has some appeal — particularly if said starter is controlled beyond the current season. Nola is a free agent at season’s end and Painter isn’t likely to pitch until late next summer, so bringing in some help not just for this year but for next season as well could prove prudent.