As we approach the end of the end of the regular season for MLB, it’s never too late to see what’s on the horizon in the free agency market.

Sure, there isn’t an eye-popping free agency on the market like Juan Soto or Shohei Ohtani, but there will be several key players looking for new contracts.

Which highly implicates the Philadelphia Phillies.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report wrote a way-too-early piece on who the biggest free agents may be leading up to the 2026 season, and four Phillies are listed in his top 25.

Barring an unforeseen collapse, it’s looking like the Phillies are going to walk away with the National League East division and general manager Rob Thomson has several important decisions to make on whether to retain them all, or know when to walk away from the negotiating table.

Let’s take a look at who’s in Reuter’s big board of potential free agents for the Phillies.

After jumping from team to team for the past four years, it’s finally looking like Harrison Bader is going to find himself a long-term home.

Bader has always been known for his exceptional glove, winning the Gold Glove in 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals. But the one part of his game that has turned teams away is his inconsistency at the plate.

From when he left St. Louis until this season, Bader had a tremendous amount of difficulty keeping his average over .240.

He did serve a solid purpose on the Mets’ last season when they reached the NLCS, but was unable to come to an agreement.

This season, he’s been a revelation. In 35 games, he’s hitting .339 with four home runs and 14 RBIs, and some seem to think he’s the reason behind the Phillies’ magical season.

Does he re-sign? It’s hard to say. His inconsistencies in his career seem to suggest the Phillies may walk, but perhaps this run sticks with Thomson.

Realmuto has done something that is very hard to do in baseball – become an insanely viable asset as a catcher behind the plate and in the batters box.

You’d be hard pressed to find a catcher since Yadier Molina that has had the longevity that Realmuto has had over his prosperous 12 year career.

But now at the age of 34, free agency is looming for the three time All Star and three time Silver Slugger.

Even though he’s not the same player as he was a few years ago, Realmuto will probably want something in the $10 million to $14 million ballpark. With the Phillies looking to potentially re-sign Kyle Schwarber, Realmuto may be as good as gone.

We spoiled it for you a little in the Realmuto section. After a 50 home run season, the Phillies will ultimately have to make a big decision about Schwarber.

By next season, he’ll turn 33 years old, but based on recent history, it doesn’t seem like Schwarber is slowing down.

Especially since Citizens Bank Park is a hitters-friendly park with its shallow right field fence, it would make a lot of sense for this season's All Star Game MVP to re-up in the City of Brotherly Love. 

Since being in Philly, he’s crushed 181 homers in four seasons, so another four year deal with a substantial raise seems promising. It will be a hefty price tag – potentially #30 million per year, but it’s hard to envision the Phillies without Schwarber, and you have to think Thomson will attempt to pull any strings to get a deal done.

What an unexpected turn this list took.

With a fairly loaded list of pitchers in this free agency class, Ranger Suarez tops the list of hurlers for Reuter.

Suarez has been a saving grace for the Phils since Zack Wheeler went down and Aaron Nola has been an utter disappointment all season.

For the season, he’s pitching to a ninth-best 2.77 ERA, with a 10th-best WAR. Not only that, he’s proven to be a trusty pitcher even while pitching in a hitter-friendly park like “The Bank.”

It’s uncertain how much Suarez will command, and he may not be a sexy pick like Zac Gallen or Dylan Cease, but he’s become as reliable as it gets. 

Over his last five starts, he’s pitched 30 innings to an astounding 0.88 ERA, which is just the kind of performance the Phils are looking for, for now, and in the future.