Another October, another heartbreak: the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2025 season has come to a close, and for Phillies fans everywhere, the feeling is all too familiar.
After a crushing 3-1 series defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Divisional Series, the Phillies’ 96-win 2025 season is now a memory. After similar finishes in 2022, 2023, and 2024, fans are now wondering when they may see real change within the organization.
It has already been widely reported that Phillies manager Rob Thomson, who took over for Joe Girardi in 2022 and ended the team’s 11-year playoff drought, will keep his role for the 2026 season. When teams falter in the postseason, the managerial spot is where most heads turn first. In this case though, Thomson is safe.
While Thomson’s job seems secure, the same cannot be said about his staff. The job security of pitching coach Caleb Cotham and hitting coach Kevin Long have been topics of conversation, but as of now, there are no set plans in place for their roles. The Phillies had one of, if not the best, rotations in baseball in 2025, and that continued into the postseason. The offense, on the contrary, struggled, just as it did in the three postseasons prior.
The team on the field could also look a lot different in 2026. The Phillies will have nine players hit free agency once the offseason officially commences, including key contributors Kyle Schwarber, Ranger Suarez, J.T. Realmuto, and Max Kepler. Suarez, who contributed a 3.20 season ERA and 151 strikeouts, and Schwarber, who slugged 56 home runs in 2025, appear to be the team’s priority, as President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski has expressed interest in keeping the southpaw and slugger, respectively, long beyond the 2026 season.
The Phillies’ payroll is already amongst the highest in baseball, and while owner John Middleton has not been shy to spend his money, keeping Suarez, Realmuto, and other key free agents will prove to be expensive. The team should have the opportunity for good-faith negotiations with their top free agents, so a universe in which many important players return is not out of the question. There is also always the possibility, however, that the market does not play out in the Phillies’ favor (free agency can be quite unforgiving), and they are stuck looking to replace top talent while still needing to fill other holes on the roster.
Even players under contract for 2026, including shortstop Trea Turner and outfielder Nick Castellanos, have not been able to avoid the rumor mill. Both have been mentioned, with varying degrees of possibility (a Castellanos deal is far more likely than Turner), in trade rumors as Philadelphia looks to contend next season. Turner signed an 11-year deal in December 2022, but Castellanos is in the final year of his contract. Moving the veteran outfielder could allow for top prospect Justin Crawford to make his debut in the big leagues for the Phillies next season and give the team a much-needed upgrade defensively, although where he may end up in the outfield full-time has not been determined.
The sky is not falling in Philadelphia, at least not yet. But with an aging core, time is running out to build a true contender. There are multiple avenues to build a championship-level club heading into 2026; Dave Dombrowski and company just have to find the right one.