Apr 23, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) hits a two-run home run off Chicago White Sox pitcher Cam Booser (71) in the seventh inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Matt Blewett
ESPN's David Schoenfield recently wrote an article looking at some potential trade packages that might convince teams to part with their star players. And the one he had for the Phillies was a doozy.
Schoenfield suggested a trade of Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford to the Minnesota Twins for All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton:
"The Phillies, Reds and Royals all could use an outfielder to add some punch to their lineups, although in Cincinnati's case, its biggest hole is at third base. Philadelphia has a lot riding on 2025 given the age of its lineup, and executive Dave Dombrowski knows how to go all-in. In this case, that would mean parting with one of the top pitching prospects in the game in Painter, plus a promising young outfielder hitting well at Triple-A."
Don't get it twisted, a healthy version of Buxton would be worth giving up a major package of prospects for. This season, Buxton is hitting .270 with 20 home runs, 53 RBIs, five outs above average and a 3.3 WAR, per FanGraphs. This is, when healthy, a superstar level player.
The problem is that Buxton has been on the injured list about as frequently as he's been healthy in his career. Buxton has spent parts of 11 seasons in the majors, and only twice has he played more than 100 games (2017 and 2024). Even when he did so a year ago, he only played in 102 games. The only reason that the Twins would be interested in parting with Buxton is because they are currently built around three injury-prone players with him, Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis, and the window is open now for the first time in a while to get value for one of them.
Painter, though, is far too rich to give up for Buxton. Heck, the Phillies weren't willing to give up him to the Chicago White Sox last summer for two-and-a-half years of Garrett Crochet, per ESPN's Buster Olney and Jesse Rogers. Painter is going through some growing pains at Triple-A, with a 4.57 ERA in his first 10 starts with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. But he's 22 years old and in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. If the Phillies basically viewed Painter as untouchable a year ago when he wasn't healthy, there's no reason to think they've changed their mind this time around, especially not for a 31-year-old with a lengthy injury history.
Byron Buxton bashes his 20th 💪 pic.twitter.com/FAoUvtVXtt
A package of Crawford and, say, Mick Abel would be a much more interesting discussion.
Crawford is hitting .343 with 26 stolen bases at Lehigh Valley. It's hard not to have a bit of trepidation about Crawford's 60.6% ground ball percentage. But the 21-year-old former first-round pick has hit at every level, that's undeniable.
Abel was recently optioned back to Triple-A, and needs to improve on his ability to locate his fastball as he continues to develop as a starter. But even if he ends up being a really good No. 4 starter, there's value in that considering he comes with six years of control until free agency.
Would the Twins say yes to Crawford and Abel for Buxton? Would the Phillies actually offer Crawford and Abel? It's tough to say. For a healthy Buxton, Crawford and Abel would probably be a steal on the Phillies' end. But as we've noted, there's a pretty safe bet Buxton will get hurt at some point. Buxton is owed $45.42 million over the next three seasons, which is nothing for his production. But it's a lot if he plays 93 games a year, the number he averaged between 2022 and 2024.
Buxton's injury history and his full no-trade clause might make him too difficult to trade. Time will tell. One thing we can all but assure — the Phillies won't be trading Painter for Buxton.
