The Philadelphia Phillies have a bye during the National League Wild Card round of the 2025 MLB playoffs. Phillies manager Rob Thomson will evaluate the roster heading into Game 1 of the NLDS on Oct. 4 against either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Cincinnati Reds.

The Phillies could be entering their last opportunity with the current team to win a World Series. If they exit the postseason early again, there will be increased pressure from the fan base and local media for the organization to make substantial changes to the roster.

What are some controversial moves that the Phillies could make in the postseason to shake up the roster, but most likely won’t?

1. Keep Harrison Bader at the top of the Phillies’ lineup

Harrison Bader batted first in Trea Turner’s absence as the shortstop recovered from a hamstring strain in September. Thomson should consider hitting Bader first or second. A potential top of the batting order would be Bader/Turner or Turner/Bader, followed by Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.

From Sept. 14, Bader posted a line of .188/.235/.271 and an OPS of .506. However, before his slump, he was one of the Phillies’ best hitters from Aug. 23 to Sept. 14. The 31-year-old had a total of eight hits over four consecutive games from Aug. 23-26 and had multiple hits in six straight contests from Sept. 8-13.

The outfielder is likely to hit in the middle of the batting order at the start of the playoffs. If Thomson is flexible and looking to shake things up, he should move him up in the batting order.

2. Give Lou Trivino a bigger role in the Phillies’ bullpen

Lou Trivino did well over the final month of the regular season. He finished with an ERA of 2.57 in 10 relief appearances. The Green Lane, Pennsylvania, native has a solid postseason history in his career, with a 0.96 ERA in nine playoff games.

Right-handers Orion Kerkering and David Robertson did not do as well as expected during September. Kerkering allowed an earned run in four consecutive relief outings from Sept. 15-23. Robertson did worse than Kerkering, finishing with a 6.30 ERA and allowing seven earned runs on 12 hits, including three home runs, in 10 innings over 11 games. Robertson has a more extensive playoff resume, with a 3.04 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 42 playoff games.

Giving Trivino a bigger role over Robertson may not be the most controversial move Thomson could make. However, the manager must take into account the struggles Robertson had in the final month of the regular season in determining his role for the playoffs.

3. Start Walker Buehler instead of Aaron Nola in the Phillies’ rotation

Walker Buehler did well in his three appearances for Philadelphia. He had a 0.66 ERA with eight strikeouts and allowed one earned run. He has previous experience as both a starter and a reliever, which is why Thomson prefers to use him out of the bullpen.

Aaron Nola has never been used as a reliever in his career. Despite having two of his best starts of the season on Sept. 8 and on Sept. 26, the right-hander had the worst season of his career. He finished with a 6.01 ERA and allowed 18 home runs in 17 starts.

Nola missed part of the year with a right ankle sprain. While rehabbing, he sustained a stress fracture in his right rib cage. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native was inconsistent and struggled with one bad inning in multiple appearances. It is more concerning in Nola’s case because of how frequently it happened in the regular season and his reputation as a top starter on the team.

Thomson’s tone in his answer to a question about Nola pitching out of the bullpen in the playoffs means it is unlikely to happen. It would be a risk using him as a reliever. However, there is also uncertainty in using the 32-year-old as a starter in the playoffs due to his erratic regular season.