Phils land two on Futures Game roster, but only one expected to play

This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki's Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The Phillies say the plan for Andrew Painter remains the plan, which means he will not join the Phillies’ rotation before the All-Star break and he will not pitch in the All-Star Futures Game on July 12 in Atlanta.

Is there any flexibility there, following Mick Abel’s stumble on Wednesday?

“I don’t think so, no,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said following a 6-4 loss to San Diego in Game 1 of a doubleheader.

Painter is the organization’s No. 1 prospect and the No. 10 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, and the Phils have big plans for him. He is scheduled to make his 10th start for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday night, but the Phillies said weeks ago that he will not pitch during the All-Star break. They want him to rest and recover following his first regular work following Tommy John surgery in 2023.

The Phils want to squeeze as much out of Painter as possible, assuming he is promoted to the big leagues in the second half.

But Single-A Clearwater catcher Eduardo Tait is expected to play in the Futures Game.

Tait, 18, is the Phillies’ No. 4 prospect and the No. 63 prospect in baseball. He entered Wednesday batting .256 with 10 home runs, 42 RBIs and a .772 OPS in 291 plate appearances. He turns 19 on Aug. 27, making him the third-youngest position player in the Florida State League (minimum 75 at-bats), according to Baseball Reference.

The average age of a Florida State League hitter is 21.1. The average age of a FSL pitcher is 22.2.

"I’ve been keeping focused on my routine and thankfully staying healthy,” Tait said recently via an interpreter. “I’ve liked my approach at the plate. I’ve liked what I’ve been doing in the field.”

The Futures Game will be a great opportunity for Tait to showcase his talents, as well as an opportunity for 29 other teams to take another look at him in a unique setting.

The Phillies will be buyers before the July 31 Trade Deadline, which means they will have to give up talent to get talent. Painter is untouchable, unless something stunning presents itself. The Phillies prefer to hold onto shortstop Aidan Miller and center fielder Justin Crawford, who are their No. 2 and 3 prospects, respectively. But a team with World Series aspirations won’t be able to keep everybody to upgrade the bullpen and possibly find a bat to help the lineup.

Maybe Tait is involved.

Maybe not.

There is a lot to like about Tait. He hits for power. He has a good sense of the strike zone, posting a .354 on-base percentage in his first three seasons of pro ball. He remains a work in progress behind the plate, but he has time on his side.

"At the plate, I’ve been looking for the fastball and focusing on the strike zone,” Tait said. “I’m really just trying to swing at pitches in the zone. But really my focus has been on my defense. It’s definitely better than it was at the beginning of the year. But the focus is the same. It’s about improving my blocking, pitch framing and really just everything.”

Tait said he is pleased, but not satisfied. He is a long way away from the big leagues. He is not J.T. Realmuto’s heir apparent, should Realmuto, who will be a free agent, not return next season. But at the very least Tait has a chance to showcase himself against other top prospects in a couple weeks.

"It’s been a really solid start to the season so far,” Tait said.