Blockbuster Phillies Trade Proposal Lands All-Star Twins Outfielder

The Philadelphia Phillies have long needed a true star in center field and should consider a deal with the Minnesota Twins for one of their best players.

ESPN insider David Schoenfield recently came up with a handful of trade offers for Twins All-Star Byron Buxton, and considered the Phillies haul "one that could get it done."

This trade would see Philadelphia ship away top pitching prospect Andrew Painter and center fielder Justin Crawford. That would be a massive swing, and one that the Phillies would have to think very hard about making.

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While healthy, Buxton is one of the best and most fun players in the sport. The problem has been staying healthy. Over his 11-year MLB career, he has only logged over 100 games twice. His frequent injuries may be enough for some to be out on him already.

The 31-year-old has been healthy in 2025 so far, though, and has posted a .270/.335/.544 slash line with 20 home runs and 53 RBI through 74 games. He's remained aggressive on the base paths despite those injuries and has picked up 16 steals.

He had an injury scare on Wednesday with his hand, but x-rays came back negative and he avoided any big loss.

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Trading for him this year would give Philadelphia a couple of seasons of relief in center, as he is signed through 2028 and is making about $15.1 million a year.

Adding a player of his caliber to this already solid roster does sound nice, but this trade does have them leveraging a lot of their future.

Painter, the Phillies top overall prospect, is one of the best young pitching talents in all of baseball. He is expected to be a part of their rotation for a long time.

The 22-year-old has had some struggles in his first full campaign since 2022 with a 4.79 ERA through 15 starts. He's picked up 67 strikeouts in 62 innings with a 1.371 WHIP.

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Still, his stuff looks like it will play at the MLB level soon. Many expect him to make his debut at some point this season, but that looks like a tall task right now.

Crawford is another player with future star potential. While Buxton would likely be better for the next few years that he is under contract, Crawford is just 21 and already a dynamic talent.

The speedy center fielder has posted a .340/.413/.447 slash line with two home runs, 29 RBI and 27 stolen bases in 69 games this year.

This would be a massive swing for Philadelphia to take, but one that would undoubtedly put them closer to a World Series win in the next couple of years.

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