The Philadelphia Phillies are 37-24 and may need to make some moves to keep up with the New York Mets and then make a postseason run. They could really shake things up and land Rafael Devers.
The Phillies' rotation has been phenomenal, and they have depth outside of that. Mick Abel and Taijuan Walker have both outperformed expectations, but even then, Abel has spent most of his time in the minors. That makes MLB Pipeline's No. 5 prospect Andrew Painter more expendable in their quest for a World Series.
Painter is a highly touted prospect and has the potential to be an ace. The Phillies are not going to trade him in any scenario where they are not adding a superstar. FanSided's Christopher Kline suggested the Phillies package Painter in a deal to land Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox.
Devers has been open about his displeasure with the Red Sox's treatment of him. He is upset they asked him to play first base after already telling him he would be the designated hitter full-time. Even when he was told to switch to being the designated hitter, he remained adamant that he would not.
"While Devers' production is smoothing over negative feelings in the fanbase, there is palpable tension with the front office," wrote Kline. "Boston is under no pressure to rush the 28-year-old out the door, as he's under contract through 2033, but now might be a good time to cut bait on a negative defender with a hefty salary number through his age-36 season. The Phillies stomach major long-term commitments better than most franchises, and there's an open slot at third base if Philadelphia decides to reroute Alec Bohm, which could return Devers to his position of choice."
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The Phillies reportedly shopped Bohm during the offseason, but he is back in Philadelphia. He will be a free agent in 2027, and the Phillies may not want to pay him and see his 2024 All-Star season as an outlier. Bohm drove up his price tag in 2024, but this season, his OPS is down over 80 points. If the Phillies bring in Devers, they would drastically improve their offense and feel comfortable flipping Bohm for outfield help while his value is high.
The Red Sox are heading toward being sellers at the deadline. Trading Devers in a deal that includes Painter would add an ace-caliber arm next to Garrett Crochet and likely yield some position players as well.
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