Those who follow baseball have probably heard rumors of trades, most of which will never be made, but they’re still fun to follow.

Baseball fans have likely come up with a few ideas on who to trade, who to keep, and what players the Phillies should pursue.

With that in mind, allow me to present a few ideas.

Likely the most unpopular idea that has been floated belongs to me. Don’t go crazy dealing your prospects away.

The Phillies have some decent prospects coming through the system, and the only one that has been classified as untouchable is Andrew Painter. Some folks believe the untouchable label is one of those rouses that teams like to play around trade deadline time to help drive the price of a player higher, but it seems the Phillies are serious about keeping Painter.

The Phillies have J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, and Ranger Suarez as pending free agents. Can the Phillies afford to re-sign all three? If not, who should be let go and how can they be replaced? No one in the system has the ability to handle pitchers like Realmuto, and nobody has the power of Schwarber. The argument could be that Painter replaces Suarez, but does he? Painter is going to be good; really good.

The problem is that it may take a little time and right now, Painter is more of a replacement for someone like Jesus Luzardo, who is arbitration eligible. Also, will Nola return to form, or is he starting to break down?

Others believe the window is closing, and that the Phillies need to use their prospects to get the team another World Series championship.

The team tried that approach when players like Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard were nearing the end of their peak years. The result is they held onto them for too long, saw diminishing returns as a team, and then dealt many of their top players for pennies on the dollar.

I am not saying to trade veterans. The only real “name” player that I would put on the block is Nick Castellanos, and that wouldn’t come until after the season.

If winning before the window closes is what it comes down to, then be prepared for some potentially lean years before the Phillies reassemble a contending team once the window is shut and locked. Should the Phillies piece together a roster full of players like Michael Martinez, Tyler Cloyd, and Delmon Young for a few seasons?

Next season, Justin Crawford could be the team’s center fielder. Tait, the best catching prospect in the organization and one of the better prospects in baseball, could be with the team in three years. Maybe Realmuto can be held together with duct tape and given a quality backup to pick up some slack until Tait arrives. Escobar, also a few years away, is primarily a second baseman.

The platoon of Bryson Stott and Edmundo Sosa has been working admirably at second for now and can possibly get better if Stott starts to figure some things out offensively.

The Phillies have talked about moving Turner, who has seen diminishing skills at short, to left field. Aidan Miller could potentially take over at short by 2027, and possibly 2026 if they were to push him up the ladder and challenge him.

Painter is a lock for the rotation, and don’t give up on Mick Abel. Imagine a rotation next season of Wheeler, Suarez, Cristopher Sanchez, Nola, and Painter with Abel waiting in the wings.

There is one bullpen arm that is intriguing and he’s not far away in Pittsburgh: Dennis Santana, 28, who has blossomed since arriving from the Yankees.

In 77 relief appearances over last season and this with the Pirates, Santana is 3-2 with six saves in seven opportunities and a 1.97 ERA. This season, his ERA sits at 1.45 in 38 games, and he would be a guy worth pursuing that might not require a huge expenditure in prospects.

GRASS ISN’T ALWAYS GREENER… Last week, Nabil Crismatt exercised an opt-out clause in his contract that made him a free agent. This week, Crismatt has re-signed with the Phillies on a minor league deal. Apparently, there were no teams interested in giving him a better opportunity than he had with the Phillies. Crismatt should return to the IronPigs soon. Buddy Kennedy, who had been designated for assignment by the Phillies, has elected free agency rather than returning to the organization.

SLOW START… After opening the second half of the season 4-2, Lehigh Valley is now 6-5 and 2.5 games behind front-running Syracuse in the IL East. The S-Mets also have the best record in the IL, which is what teams are really chasing as they look to become second-half champs and meet the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in the IL playoffs in September. The Pigs invade Syracuse this week for a six-game series.

BROKEN STREAK… Keaton Anthony had his 14-game hitting streak broken Sunday in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when he went 0-for-2. He walked twice, which keeps his on-base streak alive at 15 games, which is every game he has played with Lehigh Valley this season. Along with his stats at Reading, Anthony has a 38-game on-base streak that dates back to May 11. The 24-year-old has reached base in 61 of the 64 games he has played this season.