The Phillies won 87 games in 2022 and lost the World Series, won 90 games in 2023 and lost the NLCS, and then won 95 games and the NL East title this season but lost to the Mets in the NLDS. This mixture of progression and decline is becoming increasingly frustrating to a team built to win now, though with so much payroll already committed, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski might have to get creative in fixing some roster weaknesses.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Trea Turner, SS: $245,454,546 through 2033
- Bryce Harper, 1B: $170MM through 2031
- Aaron Nola, SP: $147,428,571 through 2030
- Zack Wheeler, SP: $126MM through 2027
- Nick Castellanos, OF: $40MM through 2026
- Taijuan Walker, SP: $36MM through 2026
- J.T. Realmuto, C: $23.875M through 2025
- Cristopher Sanchez, SP: $20.5MM through 2028 (includes $1MM buyout of $14MM club option for 2029; Phillies also have $15MM club option for 2030 with $1MM buyout)
- Kyle Schwarber, DH: $20MM through 2025
- Jose Alvarado, RP: $9.5MM through 2025 (includes $500K buyout of $9MM club option for 2026)
- Matt Strahm, RP: $7.5MM through 2025 (Phillies have $4.5MM club option for 2026)
2025 financial commitments: $220,219,156
Total future commitments: $846,258,117
Arbitration-Eligible Players (projections from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
- Ranger Suarez (5.112): $8.9MM
- Austin Hays (5.057): $6.4MM
- Jose Ruiz (4.148): $1.2MM
- Edmundo Sosa (4.140): $2.5MM
- Garrett Stubbs (4.120): $1.2MM
- Alec Bohm (4.106): $8.1MM
- Kolby Allard (4.021): $1.1MM
- Brandon Marsh (3.078): $3MM
- Bryson Stott (3.000): $3.5MM
- Non-tender candidates: Allard, Hays, Stubbs
Free Agents
The warning lights on the Phillies' season started flashing well before the playoffs, as the team raced out to a dominant 45-19 start before posting a far more modest 50-48 record in its final 98 games. Such players as Trea Turner, Ranger Suarez and Alec Bohm cooled off after hot starts, injuries to Suarez and Spencer Turnbull exposed a lack of rotation depth, and the team's trade deadline additions had mixed results.
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SweetBabyRayKingsThickThighs
Just buy some big fancy free agents to plug into the lineup it’s rotisserie league with Dombrowski.
mlb fan
“Rotisserie league”…For “win now” GMs, Dave Dombrowski is about as good as it gets. There’s a reason he’s taken at least 3 different teams(I think 4 actually)to at least 1 World Series appearance. And, there’s a reason the HOF already has a place picked out for the “Dom’s” Hall Of Fame statue.
Salvi
“he’s taken at least 3 different teams”
I’d be more impressed if he stayed with one team and had long-term success.
Lindor's Bodyguard
Santander!
TerryTurnbuckle
For far too long the Phillies have escaped the lol tag.
That ends today. That ends right now.
Lol Phillies
mlb fan
“Lol Phillies”..Just so you remember, the Phillies have been to a World Series and a couple of championship series rounds in the last 3-4 yrs. Only one team will win it all and the Phillies have not gotten there yet.
That being said, only maybe 5 or 6 teams(if that many)have had a better last 4 yrs than the Phillies. I’m not a Phillies fan per se, but I do watch an awful lot of MLB and it seems quite a bit of a desperate reach to “Lol Phillies”.
Bart Harley Jarvis
@mlb fan,
Your points are appreciated, but trolls are gonna troll.
TerryTurnbuckle
Okay but two World Series rings in 142 years is still pretty lol. The past three years they’ve been bridesmaids. The ten before that, not even invited to the wedding. They get an lol pass from a lot of people because they spend money. Not me. A .474 franchise history winning % is lol-able
Bart Harley Jarvis
Yeah, like I said.
TerryTurnbuckle
Yeah you’re right Bart. Numbers lie and everyone who points them out to the fans of that team are trolls. What a baby. Wipe those cheez wiz tears and come back when you’re done with your time out. Loser
Bart Harley Jarvis
@buckle,
Thanks for proving my point. Well done, sir!
Lindor's Bodyguard
Sounds like more stupid money! Didn’t the owner (Middleton) say “stupid money” a few years ago?
Blackpink in the area
Is this a Mets fan talking about how the Phillies owner spends money foolishly?
JoeBrady
Assuming they NT Hays, they are at $275M, and need an SP (likely), another ‘okay’ OF, a closer, and another decent RP. Without a trade, it will be difficult to keep this under $300M.
C Yards Jeff
If they do NT Hays, hope Os get him back. Compliments Mullins well, a needed seasoned league level RH stick. 6 plus mil is worth it … even with nagging and varying injury and illness that seem to show up year in-n-out.
Cowser, Mullins, Hays OF is a plus group defensively … and with Kjersted as a 4th … in 25. Santander? He gone.
Samuel
Jeff;
Unless he’s in a wheelchair, Austin Hays will not be released.
As for Kjersted in the OF…be careful of what you wish for.
getrealgone2
Phillies gonna have a lot of old men on contracts soon.
TerryTurnbuckle
Same club that paid Jamie Moyer at 47 and Matt Stairs at 41
AARPhillies
dclivejazz
The Phillies “window” is closing, perhaps more rapidly than expected.
Blackpink in the area
Truly it’s been closing for a while but they keep spending more and more and more to keep it open. I have to believe they can’t continue to do this but who knows.
JoeBrady
It will be an interesting experiment. This is much like with Preller and the payroll expanding every year. Except Preller finds new prospects every year. DD will have to do the same. Painter goes a long way in this regard, one way or the other.
They are #27 in batting age and #20 in pitching age. They need a couple of kids to come up.
Philly 6
Crawford (OF) Miller (INF) and Painter (SP) will help in 2026 if not sooner.. That will help the payroll for sure. They might have to bite the bullet one last time in 2025 by increasing payroll…maybe not if DD gets creative. Would love to see them swing a trade for Tucker from Houston. Or sign Bellinger if opts out
Blackpink in the area
Trade Walker and Castellanos for Trout. Trade prospect Miller for Nootbaar and Helsley. Trade Crawford and Painter for additional help the next 2 years. After 2026 it’s gonna suck but you got 2 years of being perhaps the best team in baseball and hopefully winning a championship.
jbigz12
The Angels aren’t going to give their franchise icon up for two smaller dead money contracts. They can’t do that.
jbigz12
Preller doesn’t let many of those prospects come up and play on the ML team. Merrill was fantastic but he ships just about all of the rest of them elsewhere.
DD actually recouped about as many prospects as he sent out at the deadline.
Blackpink in the area
Sure they can. They get off the hook for the later years of Trouts contract and let the Castellanos, Walker and Rendon deals run out then finally can compete again.
jbigz12
Arte’s not going to trade him for no return & 2 dead money deals at this point. Just won’t happen.
He has no trade value and the Angels aren’t going anywhere so he’s probably stuck. If he comes out and looks like an MVP this year and the Angels can get an actual prospect w/ eating serious cash on the deal—then maybe at that point he gets dealt. No way he gets dealt this offseason.
Blackpink in the area
Hey Arte has been making bad decisions for over a decade. So maybe his first instinct is the wrong one.
The Trout contract is bad and it’s going to weigh the Angels down for as long as he’s on the team.
JoeBrady
After years of waiting, I think it is probably too late for the Harper move. At a much bigger savings, you can afford to PO the fans, but after a while, the savings won’t warrant it.
I still like to amuse myself with thoughts of him playing for the RS, but it ain’t going to happen.
Not the real Sports Pope
It’s a very top heavy team, very reminiscent of the Amaro years
Samuel
Whoaaaa…..
How the national sports media and front-running fans can change the narrative on a dime.
Mets! Mets! Mets! Mets! Mets! Mets! Mets! Mets! Mets! Mets! Mets!
Guess the Phillies and Braves room with the Marlins from now on.
Lousy PoBO’s. Managers. Coaches. Players.
Chicken In Philly?
They still have two aces in Wheeler and Nola, Sanchez is a solid #3, and Suarez can be counted on in the 4 or 5. If Painter comes through, that’s a solid starting five. I don’t see this team falling apart in the next two years, and Dombrowski has recently shown he can add bullpen arms. This team was built for the playoffs but just didn’t pull it off, much like half of the league.
njmatt82
Yes exactly. Like how many times in the last 5-10 years have the Yankees and Dodgers been bounced in the playoffs the first round or two. Phillies are a real good team who stumbled in playoffs. They will be back in “25.