Phillies have no choice but to make this trade to replace Andrew Painter

The Philadelphia Phillies haven't been great over their last 10 games, going 5-5 over that stretch. Just a few months ago, the Phillies were one of the worst teams in baseball, and it almost sounds crazy to say, but with the Atlanta Braves going 6-4 over their last 10, the Phillies needed to take a bigger advantage of situations like that.

That hasn't been the case, though it's a bit tough to blame the Phillies because of who they've played, with the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cleveland Guardians being their opponents in that span.

Regardless, because the Phillies have played much better in May than they did for much of the beginning of the year, now sitting at 30-29, many are starting to believe that a trade will have to happen for this team to get to the next level and make the postseason. 

There are going to be multiple starters available, and it sounds like replacing youngster Andrew Painter will be at the top of the priority list.

One trade in particular that could make sense is landing Kansas City Royals right-hander Michael Wacha, who has proven what he can do at the highest level for more than a decade at this point.

“Kansas City has several veteran arms who could draw serious interest at the deadline. Michael Wacha is 34, with an additional year of club control on his contract. He has carried over his success from last season, with a 3.23 ERA and 1.12 WHIP across 12 starts and 75.1 innings in 2026. Wacha mixes locations and speeds effectively, with a killer changeup as his signature weapon.

“He's slightly outperforming his metrics right now, but Wacha can provide valuable stability for a deeper rotation in Philadelphia,” Christopher Kline wrote.

I love Wacha as a starter, though it's fair to mention that the 34-year-old has had some strange spots throughout his career. Prior to the 2022 campaign, he really wasn't much of anything. Since then, he's been one of the more consistent starters in all of baseball.

I'd be very interested to see what he ends up going for at the deadline, but if he's attainable for a rather reasonable price, there's really no reason the Phillies shouldn't be involved here.

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