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SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 29: Luis Severino #40 of the Athletics pitches against the New York Yankees in the first inning at Sutter Health Park on May 29, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly looking for back of the starting rotation help via trades.
After Andrew Painter’s demotion and Aaron Nola’s sky-high ERA 1/3rd of the way through the season, the Phillies, if they want to make noise in the MLB playoffs and keep pace with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves, should consider acquiring another starting pitcher, and Athletics’ $45 million pitcher Luis Severino is a good target.
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Luis Severino Trade Package for Phillies Revealed
GettySACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 13: Luis Severino #40 of the Athletics pitches against the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Sutter Health Park on April 13, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
In this hypothetical MLB mock trade idea, the Philadelphia Phillies could land Athletics starter Luis Severino if they offer the A’s a prospect haul of LHP Cade Obermuller and RHP Jean Cabrera.
That’s two top-15 prospects for the services of Luis Severino to help stabilize the Phillies rotation with another right-handed starter (who can actually get outs) in the fold. It’s also important to note that in this trade package, the Phillies are not getting rid of any of their top five farm system products. Dave Dombrowski has also shown a willingness to offload top prospects to acquire top players that can help the Phillies right now.
Luis Severino currently holds an ERA of 4.16 this season over 12 starts and 62.2 innings pitched. The issue for Severino has been pitching in West Sacramento, but one could assume he’s due for positive regression if he stops having to pitch in a minor league ballpark every other start. And it’s not even like a 4.16 ERA is bad either, because Luis Severino is an accomplished starter with proven ability to take the ball every fifth day. He’s under a two-year, $45 million contract, which will expire at the end of this season.
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Why the Phillies Should Make This Trade
The Philadelphia Phillies have World Series aspirations, and as one of the surging teams in Major League Baseball right now, they can’t afford any more clunker starts from members of their rotation.
The Andrew Painter demotion was a clear indicator of the front office not messing around, and a decision with Aaron Nola may need to be made soon as well.
However, with the recent reports that the Phillies are seeking back-end rotation help, Severino stands out as a top option to take over the fourth spot in the rotation, behind Jesus Luzardo.
Christopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler have been revelations (as they were thought to be) for the Phillies’ starting staff, and with the trade deadline looming, expect the Phillies to be engaged as any MLB team in trade discussions.
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TJ French covers the MLB for Heavy. TJ is a graduate of the University of Georgia. He has 2+ years of writing experience. Follow TJ French on X: @tj_french5 More about TJ French