The Philadelphia Phillies are 1 1/2 games behind the New York Mets in the National League East. They look like a team that can make a deep run, but may need some upgrades.
The Phillies' rotation has been great, and the team has depth as well. Taijuan Walker has pitched well, and Mick Abel has performed great in his first start. He was sent back down to Triple-A but is scheduled to start again on June 5. With Walker and Abel performing and the championship window open, the Phillies could consider parting ways with Andrew Painter, MLB Pipeline's No. 5 prospect.
Painter has the potential to be an ace, but may not help the Phillies win a World Series this year. With Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto heading into free agency, this could be the last year the Phillies have to compete with those two stars. FanSided's Christopher Kline suggested the Phillies trade Painter to acquire Bo Bichette from the Toronto Blue Jays.
"In reality, the Phillies aren't going to trade Painter for a rental. Philadelphia has the resources to extend Bichette, but free agency is never a sure bet," wrote Kline. "There's a good chance the Phillies would ask for value on top of Bichette, Toronto's second-best player, in what could quickly complicate negotiations. That said, as a foundational piece, Bichette meaningfully improves Philly's outlook in the NL postseason race."
Bichette will be a free agent after the season and Spotrac projects the two-time All-Star to earn a seven-year, $147 million contract. The Blue Jays may not be willing to pay that, but he could open up many possibilities for the Phillies. They could move Trea Turner to second base, but adding Bichette may allow them to turn Alec Bohm into an outfielder.
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"If the Phillies aren't keen on deplatforming Turner at shortstop, Bichette can slide to second base while Bryson Stott and Edmundo Sosa split time at third base," wrote Kline. "That frees up Alec Bohm for a separate trade, although Bohm may be a more believable centerpiece in the Bichette trade."
Bohm was the center of trade rumors in the offseason. He will be a free agent after next season, and the Phillies may not want to pay him after he drove up his asking price in 2024. He was an All-Star, but has seen his OPS drop 80-plus points this year. Meanwhile, Bichette is playing like he did during his other All-Star campaigns and has found his power swing again. Bohm could be used in a tade to add an upgrade in the outfield.
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