Phillies Mailbag: Onto the Offseason

We are back with the 97.3 ESPN Phillies Mailbag.  The Phillies move onto the offseason sooner than they preferred.  Here are your questions heading into the offseason.

What are your thoughts on the news coming out about Rob Thomson coming back in 2026?
~T

Phillies manager Rob Thomson has done a lot of winning since he took the helm of the Phillies in June of 2022.  Despite that, the team has not won a World Series, and it's easy to call every Postseason appearance since 2022's World Series appearance a letdown.

Yet, Jon Heyman reported that Thomson will return to the Phillies in 2026.

Thomson is under contract for one more season.  But the contract might not be extended, as it was this past offseason.

The Phillies decided that they did not want to make Thomson a "lame duck" manager in 2025, so they added a year.  Will they do the same?  I tend to think no, and that would be notable enough.

I think that Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will acknowledge that the roster that Thomson had to work with was flawed.  He may outright say so, but I think we will see some offseason moves that indicate as such.

I believe that last offseason, Dombrowski was willing to shake certain areas of the roster up some.  But, he was not obligated to do so for the sake of a shakeup, and if there were no good opportunities to trade (such as an Alec Bohm trade, for example), he was happy to bring Bohm back.

Bohm was not a failure; I think Bohm's performance was pretty good for what you might come to expect of Alec Bohm.

But Bohm is not a number four hitter in a lineup.

And Bohm is also entering his last year of control, which could make him a trade candidate as the Phillies seek to find the type of player that's a better fit in the lineup.  And, they could free up some space should Aiden Miller force his way onto the Phillies roster.

And that is just one example of a flawed roster.  We can point to having too many platoons, the absence of a trusted right-handed relief option (though the Phillies thought that was solved).

And at the end of the day, the Phillies top hitters all did not hit in the Postseason, minus game three.  I don't know what Thomson did anything to make their bats silent or to forget that each of them have been All-Stars multiple times.  They did not come through.

So Thomson, a respected voice in the clubhouse, will return.  He probably would have a different cast in front of him.

What would be your first priority this offseason?

This is a tough question because I do not necessarily think there is one glaring need to address.  Rather, I think the Phillies need to enter the offseason open-minded and not attached to the players they have. Even if it is uncomfortable.

I have thought, and still am inclined to believe that the Phillies will agree to terms with Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto on new contracts.

But that does not mean that they have to do so.

The Phillies need a catcher.  There are few out there.  But if one is, I would explore it carefully.

For example:  The Baltimore Orioles have catcher Adley Rutschman under control for two more seasons.  But they just signed their top prospect, also a catcher, to an eight-year, $67 million deal.

Is there really room for Samuel Basallo and Rutschman on the same roster?  And does it make sense for the Orioles to have one spend time at first base when the club has other needs?

It's worth a call.

And, if Schwarber is going to cost $30 million a season, why not at least see what Kyle Tucker is looking for?  I think it's a foregone conclusion that Nick Castellanos will be moving on in one form or another.

The Phillies could spend that kind of money on someone who can man a position well. (Note: this was a down defensive season for Tucker).  And, Schwarber had his singular best season in 2025.  Will he match that, if we are being honest?

Again, that does not mean the Phillies are trying to get rid of Schwarber or would not bring him back.  But why not at least see how the bigger picture works and what options truly exist?

So my priority would be an honest look at the roster and where there are opportunities to improve, not being too attached to players.

The estimated payroll for the Phillies in 2025 was $290.3 million. For 2026, does that number go up, down, or stay close to the same?
~Pat

I would imagine that with a potential work stoppage loming in 2027, the Phillies would ultimately be around the same number to a tick above.  I think that even with a retooled roster, the Phillies have the pitching in place to make things happen.

Let's think about the payroll:

Bryce Harper - not going anywhere ($27.5 million)
Trea Turner - probably not going anywhere ($27.2 million)
Zack Wheeler - signed at top dollar ($42 million)
Aaron Nola - not going anywhere ($24.5 million)

And let us not forget that Taijuan Walker is signed for $18 million and Castellanos $20 million.

So this will be a big payroll team.  I don't think they go this far only to do nothing else.

I think you'll see some salary cleared (Bohm, Jose Alvarado, Max Kepler) so they can deal with some escalating salaries and add some needs.

Schwarber (or a replacement) would cost about $30 million a season, an increase of his $19.5 million in 2025.  Realmuto might be a few million cheaper but not much.

I think the Phillies will begin the season with a payroll below their final payroll. But like this season, if there is an opportunity to improve, I think they'll take advantage and end the season with a payroll close, but maybe a tick above this season's.