Insider Shares Philadelphia Phillies Plans for Top Prospect Usage Next Season

A team insider has shared what the Philadelphia Phillies could do with one of their top prospects next season.

Feb 23, 2023; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (76) during photo day at BayCare Ballpark. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies made a significant move over the weekend, acquiring starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins, along with minor league catcher Paul McIntosh in exchange for shortstop Starlyn Caba and outfielder Emaarion Boyd.

Caba is the No. 4-ranked prospect in the team’s pipeline, while Boyd was No. 23.

The Phillies are betting that Luzardo can regain the form he showed in 2023 when he had a 4.0 WAR across 32 starts and 178.2 innings. He went 10-10 with a 3.58 ERA and an impressive 208 strikeouts.

The lefty has immense talent, but it will be a matter of staying healthy throughout an entire season. That is a major question mark since 2023 was the only time he made more than 18 starts in a singular campaign.

Luckily for Philadelphia, they have some excellent depth to work with in the rotation.

Zack Wheeler is the ace, finishing second in the Cy Young Award race this past season. Aaron Nola remains a workhorse, while Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez were both All-Stars in 2024.

Taijuan Walker, the No. 5 starter this past campaign, remains on the roster, but is a candidate to be released once the spring rolls around.

Another name to keep an eye on is top pitching prospect Andrew Painter.

He has missed the last two years because of injury after looking like a legitimate candidate to earn a spot in the MLB rotation during Spring Training in 2023.

The 2024 Arizona Fall League was his first time back on the mound in game action, and he pitched spectacularly.

He made six appearances across 15.2 innings and recorded a 2.30 ERA with 18 strikeouts.

He certainly looks like someone who is ready for another promotion, but the Phillies aren’t going to rush him.

As shared by Matt Gelb of The Athletic, they are still figuring out how they will handle his workload in 2025.

“The Phillies have not yet disclosed their plan for Painter, 21, but team sources said they intend to slow-play Painter’s season. He’ll have anywhere between 80 to 110 innings to use in 2025 — his first full season after Tommy John surgery — and the club wants him available for the later months.”

A starter for his entire career, it would be interesting to see if Philadelphia deployed him out of the bullpen to help limit his innings out of the gate.

With plans of contending for a World Series, they want their best players available when it matters most.