What Changes Are Needed For The Phillies' Roster Management?

We are back once again with the 97.3 ESPN Phillies Mailbag. Each week we take your questions and answer them on The Sports Bash with Mike Gill. Tune in each Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 to hear your questions answered on the air.

What do the Phillies do about Andrew Painter?
~Bill

The Phillies gave Andrew Painter the fifth starter job heading into Spring Training, with no real other options available. If Taijuan Walker was pitching like Taijuan Walker of 2025, that might have been helpful once Zack Wheeler returned. But Walker was released after a 1-4, 9.13 ERA start to the season.

Painter has struggled as well, going 1-7 with a 6.21 ERA. Usually that is good enough to earn some more time at Triple-A.

However: the Phillies have few other viable options right now.

Alan Rangel is probably the best of the Triple-A rotation. But Ranger is just so-so for Triple-A, going 3-4 with a 3.73 ERA in 12 appearances that include nine starts.

I think the Phillies need to address the lack of starting pitching depth, whether it's picking up some free agent options to stash at Triple-A or making a trade.

I think the Phillies will be OK if they pitch Painter in the rotation with the others that strong right now. But what if someone gets a finger blister and cannot pitch? What if there are multiple rainouts leading to doubleheaders? They need help.

I would make the move to swap Painter for Rangel and attempt to get Painter some extra help at Triple-A, even if Rangel does not give them too much more in the big leagues. Even if it is for a few starts.

Beyond that? See what the Phillies can acquire at the deadline. I would not be opposed to trading Painter, provided that his value is still high and the Phillies can get multiple years of control out of the return.

The bat has been the primary Phillies concern, but I worry about the lack of starting pitcher depth.

Do you think the Phillies as they are playing now are the team that they are going to be this season, or are they still trying to figure things out? Obviously they could change things, but they appear to have sorted out issues from earlier this year.
~John

I think that the Phillies should be really careful here. The Phillies have been getting better play from Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Adolis Garcia. However, I am concerned that this will give them false confidence and back off some of their necessary moves.

The Phillies, unequivocably, need a right-handed bat, or perhaps even two. There are two spaces on the roster that the Phillies have clear ability to upgrade.

The first would be third catcher Garrett Stubbs. Stubbs is very much an "extra" player at this point. The Phillies do not need a third catcher if J.T. Realmuto is healthy. Though they may be concerned at the level of depth, maybe the Phillies can pick up Chadwick Tromp, a free agent, on a high-salary minor league deal like Stubbs had, should Stubbs be claimed.

But he might clear waivers just fine.

The other is the roster spot occupied by Steward Berroa. Berroa is not getting too much playing time, which could simply be because the Phillies do not feel that he is a good fit for that.

This roster spot is the same one held by Otto Kemp and Felix Reyes.

I would like to see an outfielder, preferably who can play center field, and an infielder.

If the Phillies get both Gleyber Torres and Harrison Bader from the San Francisco Giants, that could do it.

And that does not displace anyone that is already on the roster. That simply gives more options.

With Schwarber batting first, his RBI's take a huge hit. Is it more important for the team to haven't been first and hit less RBIs or have a bat lower in a lineup and have more RBIs?
~Glenn Bo

I am not that big a fan of this. I suppose, if the Phillies are going to try to get Brandon Marsh up in the lineup, they'll need to do something to avoid having three left-handed hitters in a row and being a complete target for the opposing bullpen's best lefty.

Trea Turner's struggles this year made this necessary. Last season, Kyle Schwarber drove in a career-high 132 runs, mostly in part due to Turner's .355 on base percentage.

So what are the options?

I think you want to make sure that Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Marsh are three of the top four hitters.

Turner is probably still the best right-handed option of the lot, and he would have to bat 2 or 3 to make the other three work.

Would Harper lead off? Marsh lead off and Schwarber hit fourth? I do not think either solution is really good.

So here we are.