Welcome back to the latest edition of the Phillies Beat newsletter! |
The Dodgers and Blue Jays will play Game 4 of the World Series tonight at Dodger Stadium.
For the Phillies, it means a crucial offseason is almost here. Here are a few things to know before it begins: |
Which players are free agents? José Alvarado ($9 million club option), Harrison Bader ($10 million mutual option), Walker Buehler, Max Kepler, Tim Mayza, J.T. Realmuto, David Robertson, Jordan Romano, Kyle Schwarber, Ranger Suárez and Lou Trivino. |
Are any of them likely to receive qualifying offers? What is the deadline for that? Schwarber, Realmuto and Suárez are expected to receive one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offers for 2026. If Schwarber, Realmuto and/or Suárez decline the offer -- they almost certainly will -- and sign with another team, the Phillies will receive a compensation pick after the fourth round of the 2026 Draft. Qualifying offers can be made through the fifth day after the World Series. A player has until 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 18 to accept it. |
Will the Phillies pick up Alvarado’s club option? Will the Phillies and Bader exercise their mutual option? What is the deadline for that? Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said earlier this month that they expect Alvarado to return in 2026, despite missing half the season following a PED suspension and finishing the season on the injured list with an elbow injury. Bader is expected to decline his share of a mutual option, which isn’t a surprise. No mutual option has been exercised by both parties since the Brewers and Aramis Ramirez in November 2014, according to Spotrac. Bader will seek a multiyear deal following arguably the best year of his career. The Phillies said they are interested in bringing him back. The deadline for players and teams to make 2026 option decisions is five days after the end of the World Series. |
Which players are eligible for salary arbitration? Tanner Banks, Alec Bohm, Jhoan Duran, Jesús Luzardo, Rafael Marchán, Brandon Marsh, Edmundo Sosa, Bryson Stott and Garrett Stubbs. |
Who might be a non-tender candidate? When do the Phillies have to make those decisions? Stubbs spent most of this season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but the Phillies might want the catching depth to protect themselves if Realmuto signs elsewhere. The Phillies and Stubbs also could do what they did last fall. They agreed on a one-year contract before the non-tender deadline. The non-tender deadline is Nov. 21. If a club does not tender a contract, the player immediately becomes a free agent. |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
Who needs to be added to the 40-man roster this winter to avoid the Rule 5 Draft, and do the Phillies have a crunch for roster spots? The Phillies have a few prospects who could be protected from December’s Rule 5 Draft. Right-hander Andrew Painter (Phillies No. 1 prospect in the MLB Pipeline rankings) is a lock. He could open the season in the Phillies’ rotation. Outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. (No. 9) is a good bet, too. Dombrowski mentioned him as a potential 2026 contributor. Teams love pitching in the Rule 5 Draft. Right-handers Alex McFarlane (No. 20) and Griff McGarry could get selected, if they aren’t protected. Other considerations include first baseman Felix Reyes, catcher Caleb Ricketts (No. 22) and right-hander Andrew Baker. These decisions need to be made by Nov. 18. The Phillies have 39 players on the 40-man roster, plus two on the 60-day injured list (Zack Wheeler and Daniel Robert) who must be added following the World Series. If Alvarado’s club option is exercised as expected, the Phillies will have 10 remaining free agents. |
What kind of help do the Phillies need and will they be active in free agency? The Phillies won 96 games, but they fell short again in the postseason. An offensive shakeup makes sense, but the Phillies have prioritized bringing back Schwarber and Realmuto. If they bring both back, how much payroll flexibility will they have to fill other needs? Last year, the Phillies limited themselves to free agents on one-year contracts: Kepler, Romano and Joe Ross. None worked as planned. If the Phillies are limited once again, it rules out big bats like Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso and others, unless the Phillies move payroll. The Phillies’ outfield could look completely different next year. Nick Castellanos and Kepler are not expected to return. Bader isn’t a lock to be back, either. If they all leave, Brandon Marsh could be the only returning outfielder in 2026. Justin Crawford (Phillies No. 3 prospect) is a favorite to make the Opening Day roster. The Phillies could use help in the bullpen, like always. |
Whom might the Phillies be willing to trade? Castellanos is owed $20 million next season, so the Phillies would have to eat most of the money to move him, considering he ranked last out of 145 qualified players in baseball with -0.6 fWAR and -1.0 bWAR. It’s probably more likely that he’s released. The Phillies tried to trade Bohm last offseason. They could explore a deal again, especially with prospect Aidan Miller inching closer and closer to his MLB debut. Miller has spent his Minor League career playing shortstop, so he would need time to learn third base before a promotion. Marsh, Alvarado, Marchán, Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering are other talents who would interest clubs. |
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