Phillies poach big-time talent who played for the Braves as part of their new idea of success going forward

The Philadelphia Phillies are as busy as an MLB team can be. They are bringing new faces, trading, and now, they are looking to poach talent from elsewhere. More specifically, a former Atlanta Braves young man who might be poised for success as the team is looking for a more young-filled approach too.

The Phillies will trust prospect Justin Crawford as an outfielder and are rumored to call up young starter Andrew Painter sooner rather than later. Hence, it’s not that surprising to see that they added infielder prospect Christian Cairo.

Per Steve Potter, Phillies analyst. “Free agent infielder Christian Cairo has signed a minor league contract with the Phillies for the 2026 season. The now 24 year old was drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in the 4th round of the 2019.” Cairo was let go by the Braves.

Is Cairo a good prospect?

Cairo reached Triple-A in the 2024 season. Apparently, the Braves let him go because “in order to keep him, Atlanta would have had to carry Cairo on the active roster. They clearly weren’t willing to do so and let him go.” While that could raise some concern, it seems like the Phillies are willing to bet that he’ll be ready sooner rather than later.

Christian Cairo #70 is headed to Philadelphia

Cairo’s best skills are his elite defense, speed and has been catalogued as a slick defender. However, his batting skills are not as good as desired. If he is able to improve on his batting, he can be a very good player, as he is a great base stealer thanks to his incredible speed.

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Who are the Phillies’ best prospects?

As mentioned before, Painter and Crawford are the best prospects for the Phillies. Added to them and now Cairo, shortstop Aidan Miller is alredy a triple A prospect. Also, first base Keaton Anthony could become a great piece of depth for the team.