With the 2025 Phillies season now officially in the books, attention turns to what promises to be a pivotal and potentially turbulent offseason. Few teams in baseball will be watched more closely or with greater curiosity than the Phillies, as President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski faces a critical winter of decisions following yet another disappointing first-round playoff exit.
Fans may recall that the Phillies reached the World Series in 2022, only to fall short in the 2023 NLCS before suffering first-round exits in both 2024 and 2025. For many, that level of postseason underachievement is unacceptable, especially given the talent on the roster and the financial resources invested in it. To put it in perspective, Philadelphia’s 2025 payroll hovered around $290 million, trailing only the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets.
One of the main questions Dombrowski will face this offseason is whether he can keep the team’s veteran core intact, a group with an average age of 30.17. Several key players are set to enter free agency, and it’s difficult to envision a scenario in which everyone returns.
Kyle Schwarber, the likely runner-up in the NL MVP race to Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, will almost certainly be the club’s top offseason priority after hitting .240 with 56 home runs and 132 RBIs. His 56 homers ranked second in all of baseball. Dombrowski will undoubtedly do everything in his power to keep Schwarber in the lineup, as the slugger proved to be the anchor and cornerstone of Philadelphia’s dominant offensive attack this past season.
This naturally leads to another key question: what about three-time All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto? The veteran backstop hit .257 this season with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs and will turn 35 in March. Realmuto is a player many expect to return, having spent the past seven seasons with the organization. As it stands, the Phillies do not appear to have an obvious successor on the bench or within the system to replace him.
Also set to hit free agency is left-hander Ranger Suárez, who proved to be one of the Phillies’ most dependable starters this season. Suárez finished with a 12–8 record and a 3.20 ERA while logging a career-high 157 1/3 innings. He also ranked tied for 11th in the majors with a 4.0 WAR (Wins Above Replacement).
Other potential free agents include outfielder Harrison Bader, who holds a mutual option, and reliever José Alvarado, who has a club option.
In addition to free agency decisions, several other questions surround the ball club. For example, what is the status of manager Rob Thomson, 62? All indications suggest he will return, as he guided the team to 96 wins this season and remains under contract through 2026. Still, in situations like this, nothing is ever guaranteed, and only Dombrowski and ownership truly know what direction they might take.
Will Nick Castellanos and Max Kepler be back? Both struggled at the plate this season, and the Phillies may look to move Castellanos, who will be entering the final year of his five-year, $100 million contract. Fans may recall that he was briefly benched in June following a dispute with Thomson.
Another looming question surrounds Zack Wheeler. When will he return, and will he resemble the pitcher Phillies fans are used to seeing after undergoing thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in August? The expected recovery time is six to eight months, and at age 35, Wheeler faces the challenge of reclaiming his dominant form.
Also on the pitching side, how will Aaron Nola fare next season? He spent a significant portion of the year on the injured list, and while he delivered a strong outing in his playoff appearance against the Dodgers, his 6.01 ERA marked the highest of his 11-year career.
Perhaps more than any other area of the team, the bullpen demands attention this offseason. Throughout the regular season, it proved to be the Phillies’ most disappointing and inconsistent unit.
Lastly, the age factor is worth considering. The Phillies’ four most valuable position players this season were all 32 or older, raising the question of when Dombrowski will begin giving his top minor league talent an opportunity to contribute at the major league level. The organization’s top two position-player prospects are infielder Aidan Miller and outfielder Justin Crawford. Miller hit .264/.392/.433 with 14 home runs and 59 stolen bases between Double-A and Triple-A this season, while Crawford posted a .334/.411/.452 line with seven home runs and 46 stolen bases in 112 games at Triple-A. Both have demonstrated they can perform at the highest levels of the minors, so the question now becomes: when will they get their call to the big leagues and the opportunity to contribute every day?
Will the Phillies tap into their minor league system, stay the course with their current roster with hopes of re-signing key players, or leverage their top prospects as trade assets to acquire established major leaguers in pursuit of another championship run? Any way you look at it, the Phillies face a pivotal offseason ahead, one that will shape the future of the franchise. And with no guarantee that next year’s roster will resemble this year’s, all eyes will be on Dombrowski and the decisions that define the months to come.
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