The Philadelphia Phillies’ 2025 roster continues to take shape with new additions in the offseason. So far, relief pitcher Jordan Romano and outfielder Max Kepler have been the club’s free-agent signings, while left-hander Jesus Luzardo is now part of the rotation after being acquired from the Miami Marlins.
Next season may be the final year for several players as members of the organization. The club is trying to win its first championship since 2008, and needs experienced players to help accomplish that goal. However, the Phillies could be moving on from some of their core players within the next year.
The franchise needs to gradually consider injecting some more youth into the roster within the next several seasons. Should they all not be included in trades, shortstop Aidan Miller, starting pitcher Andrew Painter, outfielder Justin Crawford, and catcher Eduardo Tait are all projected to be in the majors by 2028 or 2029.
Some of the more seasoned veterans are entering the final years of their contracts or have club options following next season. If any of these players do not do well or exhibit inconsistency, the Phillies front office may consider making some changes and begin to break up their veteran core.
Let’s look at three Phillies who have one last chance to make an impact in 2025.
Ranger Suárez
Ranger Suárez is entering his final year of arbitration. Recently, the left-hander changed agents as he hired well-known agent Scott Boras. The starting pitcher’s recent decision to hire the Boras Corporation likely means the 29-year-old will enter free agency next offseason, seeking a multi-year deal.
Suárez had an inconsistent season in 2024, as he performed like a Cy Young Award candidate during the first two months of the year. Before his start on June 30, the Pie de Cuesta, Venezuela native had a 1.83 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP in 16 appearances. After allowing zero earned runs in six of his starts before this date, he had only one start where he did this in his following 11 outings. He also missed time with back injuries on two IL stints.
Painter may debut with the Phillies during the 2025 season. If the prospect performs well, that would give the organization another starter in the rotation.
Even if Painter does not make his debut until 2026, the front office may decide to go with him as their fourth starter. Philadelphia could use a more affordable option in their rotation and let Suárez sign with another club next winter. His performance next year will dictate his value in free agency and whether the Phillies are interested in signing him to a multi-year contract.
Philadelphia acquired Luzardo in exchange for two of their top 30 ranked prospects: shortstop Starlyn Caba (No. 4) and outfielder Emaarion Boyd (No. 23). The addition to the rotation gives the Phillies another starter to lean on in 2026 should they lose Suárez in free agency next winter.
J.T. Realmuto
One of the Phillies’ significant additions that led to them being contenders, catcher J.T. Realmuto, is entering the final year of his contract. Philadelphia traded with the Marlins in February 2019 to acquire the veteran.
Realmuto agreed to a five-year contract with the Phillies on Jan. 26, 2021. While the three-time All-Star has been reliable for the team defensively, he will be 34 years old in March. Should the team consider other alternatives to him if they view Tait as their future at the position and are waiting for him to debut in the majors in the next few years?
Realmuto played in 99 games, aside from the shortened 2020 season the fewest he played in a year since his debut with the Marlins in 2014, when he participated in 11 contests. The catcher missed over a month after sustaining a right knee injury in June.
Realmuto’s .751 OPS was his lowest in a season since the .696 OPS he totaled in 126 contests during 2015. His .762 OPS in 135 games during 2023 was a drop from the .820 OPS he posted in 139 contests in 2022.
The 33-year-old has seen a drop in several other offensive categories over the past few seasons. Realmuto’s home run total has dropped from 22 in 2022 to 20 in 2023 to 14 this year. He finished with 84 RBI in 2022, 63 in 2023 and 47 in 2024. The Phillies catcher totaled 41 walks two years ago, 35 a season ago, and only 27 this year. His 18 doubles in 2024 were his fewest, aside from the 2020 season.
Realmuto has been gradually declining offensively over the past two years. Whether or not he and the organization agree to a short-term deal, the Phillies need to find another suitable alternative for the position. Garrett Stubbs is not a starting catcher, and it is unknown if Rafael Marchán can be anything more than a backup. If Philadelphia’s starting catcher continues to show signs of offensive decline, the organization needs to either move on from him or transition him to a platoon starter or backup.
Kyle Schwarber
Kyle Schwarber has locked down the designated hitter and leadoff roles for the Phillies. The 31-year-old appeared in only five games in left field in 2024 as he transitioned to being primarily a DH. He appeared in 139 games in left during 2022 and 103 the following year. Despite Philly not having a deep outfield group, they should not play him regularly in left field unless they have multiple outfielders on the IL considering how often he did not play defensively in 2024.
Schwarber is entering the final season of the four-year contract he agreed to in March 2022. The power hitter has demonstrated his tendency for high-strikeout numbers as he set career highs with 200 punchouts in 155 contests during 2022, followed by 215 in 2023. He finished with 197 this season.
Despite his strikeout totals, Schwarber has demonstrated good offensive numbers with Philly. He set a career-high with 94 RBI in his first season with the club. He has posted 104 RBI in back-to-back years since then. The Middletown, Ohio, native finished with a career-best 46 home runs in 2022 and topped that total with 47 homers the following year. He also totaled 86 walks during 2022, a career-high 126 in 2023, and 106 this past year.
If Schwarber does not show a decline at the plate in 2025, the Phillies may consider bringing him back on a multi-year deal as their DH. He may receive a generous offer from another club in free agency next winter that the Phillies might choose not to match. No matter how next year plays out for Philadelphia, they could enter next offseason looking not to rebuild but retool their roster depending upon how many players they lose in free agency or decide not to pick up their club options.
