The Philadelphia Phillies are a formidable force. They have become so over the past decade or so. In 2021 they achieved their first win since 2011 and began to make the playoffs annually. The Phillies won 87 games in each of the last four seasons. The NL East has been theirs for two years in a row. The postseason performances are a step backwards, even though it looks like progress. The 2022 team was a surprise World Series winner. In 2023, they had a 3-2 series lead before losing the NLCS. The team has now lost two consecutive NLDS. Moving forward, the goal is to keep winning in the regular-season, while also finding a path to the postseason and, eventually, the World Series. A good foundation remains, but the Phillies are facing the possibility of losing free agents Kyle Schwarber, Ranger Suárez and J.T. Realmuto among others. NeedsIt’s possible to argue that the Phillies could run it back. The Phillies won 96 games in a row and even though they lost their NLDS by four games, they were still able to compete with the eventual World Series winner. Zack Wheeler, their ace pitcher, was not present. It’s easy to see where you should start if you take a look at the key free agents above.
Firstly, there is no designated hitter for the Phillies at this time. Their catching situation appears to be a tandem of Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs. This is not good enough. Justin Crawford, Otto Kemp, Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas are the current outfielders. Crawford has some promise, and it wouldn’t hurt for Kemp to get a closer look. On the flip side, it’s possible that the Phillies are looking to remove Castellanos. The outfield appears to be weak and in a transition. The infield is set. The bullpen with Jhoan Duran, Matt Strahm, José Alvarado and Orion Kerkering anchoring things seems to be in good shape.
The rotation has Cristopher Sánchez as a co-ace with Wheeler followed by Jesús Luzardo and Aaron Nola. Taijuan Walker could take the fifth slot. Andrew Painter is probably due for his chance, but a little depth wouldn’t hurt. Basically a DH and a catcher are needed. Also, a rotational depth player or two, plus an outfielder, is also required. Possible targetsThe easiest place to start is with Schwarber or Realmuto. The Phillies’ chances of bringing both players back, and they sound like they are at least going to try it, look much better.
Kyle Tucker, if the Phillies are looking to create a big splash outside their organization, is the one. Tucker is a good fit because no one else occupies the right field position. The Phillies also don’t hesitate to pay a lot for free agents. Remember that Bryce Harper and Trea Turner are both 32, Schwarber 32, and Realmuto 34. Tucker is 28 years old and could be the new center after Harper-Turner.
Alex Bregman is a possible option for the Phillies to sign if Tucker does not land. We know they already have a 3rd baseman but we will get to Bohm when we discuss the trade chips. Bregman has won many games and is still an excellent all-around player.
Adley Rutschman could be traded by the Orioles if Realmuto fails to return. He hasn’t hit for a year and a half and is starting to get expensive while the Orioles already started massaging Samuel Basallo into the lineup late last season. Rutschman may be more open to a move that would shake up his offense.
Jarren Duran’s trade was reported last summer, and the Red Sox have many outfielders. Maybe this could work.
Harrison Bader could be re-signed by the Phillies if not. He seemed to feel at home with the team after they acquired Bader before the trade deadline of last season.
Some depth options at starting pitcher to help alleviate any concerns about Wheeler returning from his blood clot in addition to Painter being a rookie and not wanting Walker in the rotation long term: Nick Martinez, Chris Bassitt, José Quintana, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Walker Buehler. This list is not exhaustive, but it gives you an idea about the kind of pitchers they might be looking for.
Possible trade chips As noted above, Castellanos will be dangled on the trade block. There is still one year of $20 million remaining on the contract, so the Phillies are going to have to pay quite a bit to get rid him. He hit.250/.294/.400 with 88 OPS+ and -0.8 WAR in the last season. This is a case of adding by subtracting. It won’t be much, except for some salary relief, but they need to do it. Bohm could be a good player for a team, but it shouldn’t cause any problems to remove him from the roster. Edmundo Miller could get more playing time, or they could go after Bregman. Most prospects, as always with Dave Dormbrowski’s teams that have just come off a playoff year, are also potential trade chips. As long as the offseason is successful, there’s still time to win the World Series. It’s not the time to hold on to Class A players and instead go for it.
2025-11-17 15:10:34
Discover more from sportscraper.co.uk
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
