The Philadelphia Phillies had one of the best rotations in baseball last season. Their top four starters all performed at ace caliber levels, but Taijuan Walker filled the fifth starter spot and he was so bad that it dragged the entire team down.
Walker made 15 starts for the Phillies where he posted a 7.10 ERA, -1.6 WAR, 1.72 WHIP, and was handed seven losses. He was absolutely unplayable, yet Philadelphia didn’t address the rotation at the trade deadline.
Now that the offseason is here, the Phillies can explore multiple different routes to replacing Walker including free agency and the trade market.
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Andrew Painter, Philadelphia Phillies Triple-A affiliate
The most obvious, and easiest, solution in the Phillies rotation is to elevate top prospect Andrew Painter to the big leagues. Painter would likely already be in the big leagues, but he lost an entire season and a half to elbow injuries and eventual Tommy John surgery.
Painter is back, healthy, and looking strong now. With the entire offseason and Spring Training ahead of him, he has the opportunity to earn his spot at the back of the Philadelphia rotation. If he can be the pitcher that he was before he went under the knife, the Phillies will have the best fifth starter in the game.
Sonny Gray, St. Louis Cardinals
If Painter doesn’t look ready to go, the Phillies could explore the trade market. There are two trade pieces on this list, so let’s look at the cheaper of the two options, St. Louis Cardinals ace Sonny Gray.
The Cardinals are entering a rebuild and they’re expected to shop Gray around. Due to Gray’s no-trade clause, he has full control over if and where he is moved, which could drive his price down tremendously.
The right-hander still looks like an ace, so if the Phillies aren’t ready to move Painter to the big leagues, they could look to trade for the Cardinals ace.
Jack Flaherty, Free agency
Looking at free agency, there are multiple ace-caliber pitchers like Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell. But on the tier below that, you will find Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty.
Flaherty was a key piece to the Dodgers World Series championship in 2024 and Spotrac only projects him to sign a three-year, $60 million contract. Flaherty would be much more affordable than the other top pitchers on the market which could fit what the Phillies are doing perfectly.
Garrett Crochet, Chicago White Sox
Finally, we look at potentially the best option for the spot, albeit the toughest one to acquire too. It’s Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet.
The flamethrowing southpaw is expected to be traded this winter, but the price tag to require him is incredibly high. But the level of play that you’re getting from a young arm is also so impressive that this price tag is understandable.
If the Phillies are comfortable moving some of their top prospects, this is the move to make. It’s unclear how comfortable Philadelphia is doing this though.
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