Longtime Phillies journalist James Salisbury seemed almost to get misty-eyed about the idea of seeing Philadelphia Phillies prospect Andrew Painter make his major league debut in another team’s uniform.
He also had a rather strange, metaphorical warning for the pitcher.
In a recent episode of “The Phillies Show” podcast, Salisbury and co-hosts Ruben Amaro Jr. and Todd Zolecki discussed the trade deadline. As the conversation turned toward the potential of mining the farm system for trade pieces, Salisbury, the Phillies beat reporter for CSNPhilly.com, stressed that he would not be able to include Painter in any deal.
“They’ve put [in] so much time and, uh, it’s just, maybe I’m wrong, I don’t know, but I see him as being a, you know, pitching his first major league game for the Phillies, and being in the opening day rotation next year,” Salisbury said.
It would seem cruel, Salisbury suggested, to make Philadelphia fans see the dominating pitcher and top 5 MLB prospect finally emerge near the end of his long road back from elbow surgery, only to deal him away now for another organization to enjoy.
“The talent is just, it’s off the charts, right?” Salisbury said. “And, you know, the needle has been pointing toward the big leagues for so long, and there’s been this countdown to joining the Phillies rotation for so long.”
Andrew Painter Has Somewhat Underwhelmed at Triple-A Despite Undeniable Talent
But despite the undeniable talent in the first-round pick (No. 13 overall) from 2021, Painter has been rather underwhelming with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season. After dominating in the Arizona Fall League, his first game action since the surgery in July 2023, the 22-year-old has gone 3-2 across eight starts with a 4.25 ERA, allowing 34 hits and 17 walks with 40 strikeouts in 36 innings.
Spurring what Salisbury admitted might be “a dumb question.”
“Do you think he’s bored at Triple-A?”
“Not bored, but just, you know, there’s something missing adrenaline-wise,” Salisbury wondered. “Because he feels like he’s ready, and, ‘I should be there,’ and it’s been talked about so long.”
Given another moment to stew on the issue, Salisbury offered something straight out of “Deep Thoughts.”
“There’s that old saying, ‘a watched pot never boils,’” Salisbury declared. “And I wonder if he’s watching his pot too closely and it’s prevented him from coming to a boil.”
Team Insiders Urge Phillies Not to Include Andrew Painter in Deadline Deal
Amaro also said he would prefer the Phillies not trade Painter, who “has a chance to be really dynamic in the rotation.” Instead, Amaro said that he would trade righthander Mick Abel, the team’s No. 5 prospect.
Called up when Aaron Nola went on the injured list, Abel has gone 2-1 with a 3.47 ERA over five starts, walking just four with 18 strikeouts in 23 innings. However, Amaro opined that perhaps the Phillies are “not seeing the real Mick Abel right now.”
“I would not move Andrew Painter, I would consider moving Abel, just because I think the ceiling on Andrew Painter is much higher,” said Amaro, the former Phillies GM. “And while he’s pitching just okay in Triple-A right now and he’s getting some … growing pains there, he’s still pitching and learning, pitching at the higher levels. I’d be more apt to move a guy like Abel.”
As for the suggestion that Painter is finding it difficult to get amped up for games against Worcester, Buffalo or Syracuse, Amaro suggested that Painter may need to work on the mental aspect of his game.
“This is part of, you know, the overall development,” Amaro said. “At some point, a pitcher is going to have to understand that each pitch means something. Each individual pitch, whether it’s 60 of them he throws or it’s 110 of them that he throws, has meaning, especially at the major league level, and he’s going to have to dial it in mentally to do that. And it doesn’t matter whether he’s in Double-A or in the Dominican pitching, that’s something that he’s going to have to learn to do consistently.”
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