Radio host proposes Phillies trade tantalizing SP prospect for Padres All-Star OF
from Victor Barbosa, with YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
94 WIP Sports Radio host James Seltzer said Wednesday morning that the Philadelphia Phillies should trade Andrew Painter “straight up” for San Diego Padres All-Star Juan Soto.
Furthermore, Seltzer said that he believes if the Phillies were to make the blockbuster move, they’d win the World Series.
"This may not be popular, but I would trade Andrew Painter today straight up for Juan Soto. This team wins the World Series if Juan Soto is on this team."
— @JamesSeltzer pic.twitter.com/jeeTSVvbz9
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) July 19, 2023
“Juan Soto will be available,” Seltzer said. “The Padres are seven, eight games behind the Phillies. They are out of a wild-card spot. They’ve already talked about the potential for selling. He has a year and a half left on his deal. Go get him, Dave Dombrowski!”
Seltzer called the Padres outfielder “one of the best hitters in the sport” and pointed out his age (24 years old) as a reason to pull the trigger as well.
Coincidentally, Soto recently joined the Phillies on a plane back to Philadelphia after the All-Star Game in Seattle. San Diego started a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park last week.
Rob Thomson explains how Juan Soto ended up on the Phillies’ flight home from the All-Star game. ? pic.twitter.com/qDd3xLyPPg
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) July 19, 2023
This isn’t the first time that the former batting champion’s name has been connected to the defending National League pennant winners.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post wrote last week that manager Rob Thomson’s club is the frontrunner to land Soto in the 2025 free-agency period. With the Phillies being so close to winning a World Series title last fall, perhaps they’ll go all-in to acquire the three-time All-Star in the next couple of weeks.
Painter is the eighth-best prospect in baseball, but his 2023 status seems to be very much in doubt due to injury.
The righty underwent an MRI in early March after his first and only spring training start and was diagnosed with a right UCL sprain. It was reported in mid-April that Painter had resumed throwing after being shut down for over one month.
Recent testing showed healing in the 20-year-old’s UCL, but the team isn’t banking on him making a 2023 debut as the team handles the situation with care.