Offseason Outlook: Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies took a step back in 2026. After winning the NL East in 2024 and ‘25, they needed all 162 games this year to secure the NL’s final postseason berth. As a result, their talented starting rotation was stretched thin for the Wild Card round, and the Braves sent them packing. It’s now been three years since Philadelphia won a playoff series. This team is as deep in “win-now” mode as anyone, but the Phillies have plenty of questions to answer as they look to lengthen a top-heavy roster. Guaranteed Contracts Trea Turner, SS: $190.9MM owed through 2033 Jesús Luzardo, SP: $135MM owed through 2031 (club option for 2032) Kyle Schwarber, DH: $120MM owed through 2030 Bryce Harper, 1B/RF: $118MM owed through 2031 Aaron Nola, SP: $98.3MM owed through 2030 Cristopher Sánchez, SP: $98MM owed through 2032 (club option for 2033) Zack Wheeler, SP: $42MM owed through 2027 J.T. Realmuto, C: $30MM owed through 2028 Brad Keller, RP: $11MM owed through 2027 Tim Mayza, RP: $2.75MM owed through 2027 Option Decisions None 2027 financial commitments: $211.59MM Total future commitments: $845.95MM Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected 2027 salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) Garrett Stubbs (5.139): $1MM Brandon Marsh (5.078): $8.3MM Jhoan Duran (5.000): $10.9MM Bryson Stott (5.000): $9.2MM Tanner Banks (4.092): $1.4MM Derek Hill (4.040): $1.5MM Rafael Marchán (4.006): $1MM Bryan De La Cruz (3.148): $1.2MM Orion Kerkering (3.010): $1.5MM Non-tender candidates: Stubbs, Banks, Marchán, De La Cruz Free Agents Luis Arraez, Alec Bohm, Adolis García, José Alvarado, Brooks Raley, Edmundo Sosa, José Urquidy, Nestor Cortes, Dylan Moore, Lou Trivino President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski accomplished his first bit of offseason business earlier this month, signing manager Don Mattingly to a two-year contract. The Phillies turned their season around after Mattingly took over for Rob Thomson in late April. From that day onward, Philadelphia went 79-55; only the Brewers, Rays, and Dodgers won more games. It’s fair to question how much of that was Mattingly’s doing (and how much was inevitable regression to the mean), but clearly, the team is happy enough with the work he did. Former Red Sox manager Alex Cora was Dombrowski’s top choice back in April, and the executive spoke with him about the job again this fall. Dombrowski also reached out to former Phillies Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez. All three turned him down. Rather than continue his search, the POBO decided he was satisfied with the skipper he had at home. Hitting coach Kevin Long and infield coach Bobby Dickerson weren’t as lucky. Neither will return to the Phillies next year. It’s hard to say how much blame should fall on the coaches’ shoulders, but there is no question the team’s offense and infield defense were disappointing in 2026. Philadelphia’s hitters ranked 19th in runs scored, 22nd in OPS, and 28th in wRC+. Only Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber were meaningfully better than league average at the plate, while veterans Alec Bohm, J.T. Realmuto, and Trea Turner finished with particularly poor offensive numbers. Meanwhile, Harper, Bohm, and Turner were among the league’s worst defenders at first base, third base, and shortstop, respectively. Even second baseman Bryson Stott declined, according to several fielding metrics. Former Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has already been hired to replace Dickerson. Former Red Sox hitting coach Peter Fatse will reportedly replace Long. Those two will play key roles this winter and next season. Most critically, they’ll work with Turner to try to restore the player that earned MVP votes as recently as 2025. That said, the Phillies can’t just count on players bouncing back if they want to field a playoff-caliber lineup. They already went into 2026 expecting their three biggest stars – Harper, Schwarber, and Turner – to carry too much of the offensive load. It worked out poorly. Similarly, the Phillies shouldn’t count too heavily on reinforcements from their farm system. Top prospect Aidan Miller is nearing his debut, but it would be risky to put him in the starting lineup from the get-go. The 22-year-old shortstop dealt with a back injury and only played four minor league games in 2026. Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco. Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony. Remove ads and support our writers. Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker