The Philadelphia Phillies could be in some trouble if the MLB offseason doesn't pick up for them.
The Philadelphia Phillies entered the MLB offseason looking like a team who could become a top-tier World Series contender for 2026 with the right moves.
However, there were quite a few questions that needed to be answered as well.
Early in the offseason, the Phillies were able to address their biggest priority. They re-signed star slugger Kyle Schwarber to a lucrative five-year, $150 million contract.
Now, there are other things that need to be addressed for Philadelphia to remain a contender in the National League.
Jake Storiale of Talkin' Baseball has issued an ominous warning to the Phillies as the MLB offseason progresses.
“I think, if the offseason ended today, the Phillies took a step back. And they can't be doing that,” Storiale said. “[J.T.] Realmuto's a free agent. Ranger Suarez is a free agent. And it's a front office that makes moves that I guess I still feel like they're going to have a big couple weeks coming up.”
At the time of this writing, Philadelphia has not figured out the future of catcher J.T. Realmuto and starting pitcher Ranger Suarez. Those two players would be valuable to retain, but that would be difficult to do from a financial perspective for the Phillies.
Last season, Philadelphia finished the year with a 96-66 record and won the National League division convincingly. When all was said and done, the Phillies won the division by a 13-game margin over the New York Mets and by 17 games over the third-place Miami Marlins.
Should the team be unable to bring Realmuto or Suarez back and fails to add more outside talent, a step back in 2026 could be a disappointing reality.
Thankfully, there is still time for Philadelphia to make more additions. Many fans are hoping to see at least one of Realmuto and Saurez re-signed. For now, all that can be done is to wait and see what the front office can do.
It will be interesting to see what the rest of the offseason has in store for the Phillies. There are some reasons for concern, but Dave Dombrowski has always been aggressive and will do everything in his power to give the franchise a strong chance to compete for a championship.