Realistically, if the Philadelphia Phillies want to make a blockbuster deal this offseason, they have all the ammo in the world to get something done.
If the Phillies indeed made Andrew Painter available, one of the top prospects of Major League Baseball, they should have a decent path to land most players who could be dealt.
However, it remains very uncertain what the Phillies plan to do on that front, as it's been evident over the past few years that Dave Dombrowski doesn't want to move on from Painter.
That doesn't mean a deal can't happen, but they have to get back a perfect player.
According to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, the two players who could help out the Phillies the most would likely require the team to move on from Painter. Those two players were Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins and Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“In a weaker free-agent market, especially for right-handed hitters, the Phillies will have to think outside the box. It’s why the emergence of two potential trade targets — Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte (a switch-hitter) and Minnesota center fielder Byron Buxton (a righty) — seemed notable.
“Both the Diamondbacks and Twins have downplayed the likelihood of either being dealt; neither one may be. But if the Phillies were to enter the picture, any reasonable package would have to begin with Andrew Painter plus several other prospects,” he wrote.
From my perspective, I'm probably not moving on from Painter for Buxton, mainly due to his injuries.
If I can guarantee that Buxton is going to play 140-plus games in a year and be healthy in the postseason, then I'd consider it, but the harsh reality is that we can't suggest that he'll be healthy for a lot of the season.
He's been very good when he's on the field, perhaps one of the best players in baseball.
For Marte, I'd help Painter ship his bags. I believe that Marte is the best second baseman in Major League Baseball, and arguably the most underrated player in the game.
I love everything that he brings on the field, and I'm absolutely not prospect-hugging anybody, especially a youngster with some arm injuries, for a player of his caliber.