Rain Delays Andrew Painter’s Start; Phillies Trade Possibilities taking Shape

The rain in the Delaware Valley didn't only wash out the Phillies and Braves, it also forced the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs to postpone their game on Wednesday night.

That means Phillies' prized pitching prospect Andrew Painter had his start pushed to Thursday.

Andrew Painter’s Start Pushed Back to Thursday

Painter will start game one of the IronPigs doubleheader in Norfolk, where he is scheduled to start Game 1 for Lehigh Valley.

Earlier this week, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he expects Painter to throw six innings or 80-85 pitches, whatever comes first.

So far, the right-hander has tossed three games at Triple-A Lehigh, going 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings, striking out 15 and giving up just nine hits.

Thomson also added that they expect Painter to join the big league club sometime in July.

• Read More:  Luzardo, Thomson frontrunners for NL Awards

Phillies Notes:

As USA Today MLB writer Bob Nightengale points out, many teams around baseball are looking to add bullpen help with the Major League Baseball trade deadline on July 31.

Nightengale mentions a bunch of names that could be of interest to the Phillies

• Kyle Finnegan of the Nationals
• Felix Bautista, Seranthony Dominguez, and Gregory Soto of the Orioles
• David Bednar and Dennis Santana of the Pirates
• Anthony Bender of the Marlins.

Last week, there was a report that the Phillies had inquired about a reunion with David Robertson before José Alvarado was suspended 80 games, but as Nightengale points out, their price me too steep for the team.

Teams who inquired on veteran reliever David Robertson during the winter say he was seeking a one-year, $15 million deal. He has no plans to sign with a team now unless he receives a strong offer.

Could the Phillies and Yankees be trade partners?

One last nugget from Nightengale: He points out that the Yankees are 'aggressively searching for a right-handed bat, preferably a third baseman, while also looking for another starter'.

The Phillies could float the idea of an Alec Bohm and Taijuan Walker deal, or even maybe Mick Abel.  The question is, what could the Yankees offer in return that could help the Phillies now?

Bohm is a right-handed hitting third baseman, and Walker could fit in the Yankees' starting rotation.

Trent Grisham is having a solid year, but yes, he hits left-handed.

Grisham is hitting .255 with a .352 on-base percentage with 12 home runs and 24 RBI this season, but is a lifetime .212 hitter with a .316 OBP, not something I'd be too excited about.

One other option could be Cody Bellinger, another left-handed hitter, who is having an average season.

Would the Yankees be willing, and would the Phillies want to take a shot with Devin Williams?  The former Brewers closer got off to a slow start this year, but has pitched well recently.

As Nightengale points out:

Yankees reliever Devin Williams says it took time to adjust going from Milwaukee to New York, where he was 0-2 with a 11.25 ERA when he lost his closer’s job. He's getting back to being the same dominant reliever he was in Milwaukee, permitting no more than one hit in his last 11 games, yielding a 0.97 ERA.

Overall, while the Phillies have the pieces that fit for the Yankees, I dont see the Yankees being a good partner for the Phillies.