After re-signing Kyle Schwarber to a five-year contract, it’s fair to wonder whether the Philadelphia Phillies plan to run back much of the same roster.
On paper, if the Phillies brought back the exact same team they had in 2025, it wouldn’t be the worst idea.
However, it’s also fair to mention that unless the Phillies can retain some of the arms they could be losing, that could become a problem.
Regardless of how fans feel about that, it doesn’t sound like running the same roster back is an option.
When speaking to reporters about their offseason plans, Dave Dombrowski had plenty to say. He stated that several new players will be coming up, the team will add externally, and others who were on last year’s roster definitely won’t be returning.
“We’re not running our club back,” Dombrowski said, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. “We’re talking about (Justin) Crawford coming in, playing (Otto) Kemp at this point, Max (Kepler) isn’t going to be back with us. So, we’re in a position where there’s already some changes. … I’m not so sure that when you win 96 games that you should really look to have to do a lot of things differently. But you’re always looking to get better.”
The young players are an interesting talking point.
It doesn’t make much sense to bring up three or four at once, but it also isn’t the worst idea to promote one or two, depending on who they are.
We already know Justin Crawford is going to get a chance, and Andrew Painter seems to have a legitimate opportunity to become a long-term starter in the rotation as early as this upcoming season.
“We’re excited about having the opportunity to blend those young guys in,” Dombrowski said of the team’s young prospects. “We could make trades. I’m sure quite a few trades we could make if we were talking about those players. But we just really want to keep them.”
There’s still a lot to figure out in Philadelphia, but I definitely view the re-signing of Schwarber as a positive and a good step.