Andrew Painter's struggles for Phillies are cautionary tale for MLB

Recent top prospects who’ve been massive disappointments

Conversely, teams like to hold on to top prospects whom they view as potential superstars, as they can sometimes surpass the level of the player they’re being traded for. The New York Yankees infamously did this with shortstop Anthony Volpe, who was consistently ranked near the top of MLB’s prospect pipeline, but he’s been in the major leagues for four seasons now and has never had an OPS above .700.

The Phillies are currently experiencing something similar with Andrew Painter, one of the top pitching prospects since he was drafted back in 2021. The 23-year-old flew threw the minor leagues and got a spring training invite ahead of the 2023 season, but he was pulled from his only start with elbow tightness, which eventually led to Tommy John surgery and a two-year hiatus.

Fast forward to today and Painter has a 7.06 ERA in 14 major league starts this season and has been optioned back down to the minor leagues. After throwing back-to-back quality starts to begin his stint, Painter reverted back to his old self, surrendering seven runs in less than three innings in his last start.

Now, Painter is struggling at every level he’s put on and his trade value around the league has undoubtedly plummeted. These struggles highlight a logical flaw that MLB teams have been applying for far too long, and one that needs to stop immediately — hoarding prospects.

Hoarding prospects is an MLB ideology that needs to end

The harsh reality is that no prospect is a guarantee, and each year they spend developing is another year wasted. Had the Yankees unloaded Volpe when he was a coveted asset around the league, he could have netted them a star who may have helped them win a World Series. If Philadelphia parted ways with Painter years ago, he also could have gotten it a star player or at the very least an upgrade from what they have now.

But they didn’t, and now, the starting rotation is a nightmare after Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez, with longtime Phillie Aaron Nola holding a concerning 5.75 ERA and Painter in the minor leagues. 

With all the pitching uncertainty, the team still finds itself 11 games over .500 and right on the heels of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. However, the Phillies have been aiming for a championship for years now, and trading one of the pieces currently hurting the rotation could have prevented the problem before it even existed.