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HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 29: Philadelphia Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski looks on before Game Two of the 2022 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on October 29, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

The Philadelphia Phillies face questions regarding the back end of their starting rotation. Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter have struggled, causing the club to seek external additions to stabilize the unit.

Charlotte Varnes and Matt Gelb of The Athletic report that the Phillies are seeking trades for a back-end starter.

The Phillies are sitting pretty with their top three starters. Cristopher Sanchez is looking like a National League Cy Young frontrunner. Zack Wheeler is as good as ever, coming off thoracic outlet surgery. And Jesus Luzardo has shaken off a tough start, pitching to a 2.86 ERA in his last 11 starts.

However, the other two rotation spots have been giant question marks. Nola has struggled to keep the ball in the yard, surrendering 1.7 home runs per nine innings since the start of 2025. That can be problematic if he serves one up with men on base. As of right now, he’d be in their postseason rotation.

Painter’s struggles are well-documented, as the Phillies just sent him down to Triple-A. The right-hander has issues putting away hitters in two-strike counts, leading to his ERA exploding to 7.06 on the season.

Starting Pitching Becomes More Urgent for Phillies in 2026

GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MAY 20: Aaron Nola #27 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park on May 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

With Painter and Nola struggling to give the Phillies consistent outings, starting pitching has become a more urgent need. They don’t necessarily need top-of-the-rotation impact, as they have as good a 1-3 as any contender. But the lack of a reliable fourth and fifth starter could rear its ugly head down the stretch.

At this point in the season, it’s going to be difficult for the Phillies to swing a trade that nets them a legitimate upgrade. There is a glut of teams still on the fringes of Wild Card contention that haven’t decided to sell yet.

The only teams that look like obvious sellers are the Los Angeles Angels, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, and San Francisco Giants. While the Phillies can inquire about the starters on those four teams, none of them are going to bandy about a starter worthy of a return in June. Those teams will wait until closer to the August 3 deadline to try to gin up a stronger market.

Other options the Phillies could turn to are guys without a clear role. Such options that NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Cole Weintraub points out include David Peterson, Paul Blackburn, or Ryan Yarbrough. They fit the back-end/swingman type the club is seeking. But at best, they’re stopgaps, and the club should pursue more impact closer to the deadline.

With that reality, they’re going to have to explore the waiver wire or rely on their internal depth.

What the Phillies Can Do Right Now?

The Phillies don’t need a fifth starter until June 24 at the latest. They have a rare off-day during their next series against the Mets, as a result of World Cup scheduling. That allows them the flexibility to bring up any starter from Triple-A.

Alan Rangel and Jean Cabrera are the only healthy starters on the 40-man roster. Rangel doesn’t offer a lot of length, with 65 innings in 13 appearances. However, he recorded at least five innings in eight of 13 appearances.

Two non-roster options include Bryse Wilson and Braydon Tucker. Wilson is pitching with Lehigh Valley, but has a 6.29 ERA in 12 games. He re-signed to another minor league deal on June 5. Wilson was granted his release from the club the previous day after triggering the upward mobility clause.

Tucker is a 26-year-old currently pitching for Double-A Reading. He has a 1.72 ERA in 62.2 innings with Reading. That might be too much of a jump to ask for, as the Phillies want to give themselves the best chance to win every night out. That was a theme in interim manager Don Mattingly’s postgame comments regarding Andrew Painter before the rookie was sent down.