The Philadelphia Phillies may soon promote an eight-year MLB veteran to bolster their pitching staff.
Philadelphia sent Painter down to Triple-A following another poor outing on June 17. The Phillies did not reveal a corresponding roster move at the time, but a particular contractual development could force their hand.
According to Phillies beat writers Matt Gelb and Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic, Bryse Wilson has activated an upward mobility clause in his contract, which could compel Philadelphia to place him on the 26-man roster.
“Bryse Wilson, according to a league source, recently triggered an upward mobility clause in his minor-league contract,” the report stated. “Wilson may be able to secure a job with another team if the Phillies do not add him to their roster. He has a 12-inning scoreless streak at Triple A with 14 strikeouts and seven walks. But he has produced a 6.29 ERA in 54 1/3 innings this season. The Phillies have an open spot on the 40-man roster.
“Much of the current issue can be traced back to the offseason, when the Phillies failed to obtain usable rotation depth. They signed Wilson and Tucker Davidson to minor-league deals. Both have struggled at Triple A.”
Wilson debuted in the majors in 2018 and spent parts of four seasons with the Atlanta Braves. He has also pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Chicago White Sox, and he is capable of working multiple innings out of the bullpen.
Over the course of his MLB career, Wilson owns a 20-23 record with a 4.82 ERA across 163 appearances, 57 of which have been starts.
Phillies Send Down Painter
Following another difficult start on June 17, the Phillies decided to option Painter to Triple-A.
Painter had been performing poorly for an extended stretch, and interim manager Don Mattingly believed the move was warranted.
“You still have to perform and get people out,” Mattingly said. “You like the fact that you’re gaining experience by being around the big league pitching coach, being around Wheels and the other veteran pitchers — all those things can help you. But you still have to perform.”
After that rough outing, it came to light that the only Phillies pitcher with a worse ERA than Painter through his first 14 career appearances (minimum 50 innings pitched) was Ralph Head in 1923.
Painter acknowledged that he needed to rediscover his identity as a pitcher.
“It’s very frustrating,” Painter said. “You want to go out there and have success all the time, so not being able to do that has been very hard. … Just kind of leaving fastballs over the middle of the plate; fastball is getting hit right now. So I think we just got to evaluate, and try to find out who I am as a pitcher right now.”
Painter has posted a 1-8 record with a 7.06 ERA in 14 games, including 12 starts this season.
Philadelphia Has Engaged in Trade Discussions
Despite Wilson activating his upward mobility clause, the Phillies could still look to the trade market.
There is no set timeline for Painter’s return to the majors, and Gelb and Varnes reported that the team is actively surveying the market for a back-end starter.
“The Phillies, according to multiple league sources, have engaged teams in recent weeks about the availability of certain starting pitchers. Think swingman types who could be a fifth starter or pitch as long relievers in the bullpen. It’s June, and no team is looking to shed viable starting pitching at this time of year, so any outside acquisition right now would be difficult,” the report said.
The Phillies currently hold a 40-34 record and occupy second place in the Wild Card standings.
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