Phillies 2025-2026 Hot Stove Discussion

[Philsmania]

Also, Phillies extend Topper through 2027, removing the potential lame duck tag. Pretty much SOP (standard operating procedure) these days.

Phillies Extend Rob Thomson

[zambonir]

Ha I was going here to check on the Thomson news and hadn't even seen the Kyle news. That was fast!

[flyers19rw]

JT shouldn't be far behind.

[zambonir]

JT might be harder. For all the headlines, there really weren't many options for Schwarber with the same combination of money and championship material. The other teams who could offer that really didn't need him (or in the Mets' case probably still prefer Alonso who can also play 1B, albeit poorly). JT probably has more suitors. He waited a long time to re-sign with the Phillies last time around, knowing they had no other option.

But yeah, he could also be signed tomorrow. Who knows if the Phillies even asked about Ford, but they are obviously expecting JT back.

[bigegypt0417]

Realmuto is the player I let walk away...the diminished returns on him make the risk too great.

[andyb]

Matt's rule 5 Phillies preview here.. Not sure this demands its own thread any more.

2025 Rule 5 Draft Preview

[zambonir]

I don't think there are any diminished returns as a catcher. As a hitter, the ship has sailed, But they're not going to get more WAR for the next two years from anyone else. Question is do they have to overpay a little or give him a third year. No problem with the latter so long as they have another guy ready to play 80 games by then.

[EDmuch]

Kind of depends upon what we can get for Bohm. If all he can get us is a middle reliever, do we still move him? To me it is all about what we can get for him.

[zambonir]

They're not going to get anything for him that really helps this year. It's more about what they do with the $10 million (even if it's not spent until July). Would be fine with a prospect or two. Last year they seemed to only want to trade him for a major league starting pitcher (which they eventually got another way).

[xogfog]

Regardless if they trade Bohm in the offseason or at the trade deadline, or keep him, Miller has to start AAA at 3B, it's obvious Turner is not moving off shortstop any time soon. It makes no sense for him to keep playing SS if the obvious path for him is 3B,

[andyb]

They're not going to get anything for him that really helps this year

That is less important. They will get 1 or 2 players ranked between 6 and 15 when they get to the Phillies system. The Phillies should prioritize high ceiling prospects that are not close, because they won't need 40-man protection for a little while AND they build up prospect capital for future moves.

The prospect haul and the $10 million are both important and if one thinks Miller can be ready by midseason you just give Kemp a chance until then with Sosa as a backup.

[zambonir]

Agree. But Ed seemed to prefer otherwise.

[VoteForKalas]

JT might be harder.

Agree with this. Unfortunately, we painted ourselves in a corner and have no viable internal option. The FA catcher class besides JT is not very good so our leverage there is minimal as well.

Hopefully, they will be able to get him for a 2 yr deal, but I fully expect the third year will be given in the end.

[biggsphils]

Would you do a Bohm for Gurriel trade ? Take note he's out til atleast June with torn acl but would give outfield decent rh power bat

[andyb]

No. The money is OK but I think they need the RH bat from the beginning of the season.

[flyers19rw]

IDK what the market for JY really is. He isn't the player that he was even three years ago. His bat is slowing down. So is his defense. The difference between Marchan and him behind the plate is not that great any longer. Marchan actually might have the better arm now. With the electric strike zones, pitch framing becomes less important which was a strength of JT. With computers being used in game to determine pitching strategies, there is no reason that Marchan and Cotham won't call a game as well as JT. Marchan's greatest issue has been his health but, recently, the same is true for JT.

[Patchmk88]

Also, I believe JT was near the bottom of the league in pitch framing last year.

[zambonir]

I think this is one of those situations where JT is nowhere near what he was but neither are the rest of the league's catchers. He still put up 4 fWAR last year. Marchan really isn't playable for 80 games on a team with the Phillies' aspirations, especially given his injury history (but also his bat). And anyone the Phillies get to replace JT won't be better this year, including any younger possibilities. It would be great to find one of those younger guys, and maybe Marchan can still turn into more than a career back-up, but the gap between him and JT is still large.

[zambonir]

Schwarber initially had at least one offer of a $30 million annual salary, per league sources: a four-year, $120 million proposal from the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had another offer from the Cincinnati Reds that was for five years, league sources said. Then, sometime Monday, the Baltimore Orioles made a robust offer — five years, $150 million, multiple league sources told The Athletic.

The implicit agreement was that the Phillies would always have a chance to match, and all things being equal, Schwarber had a strong pull to Philadelphia. Casey Close, Schwarber’s agent at Excel Sports Management, contacted Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski on Monday night.

> The Phillies matched.

Inside the Phillies’ reunion with Kyle Schwarber, their $150M slugger who sets...

[Dirk41]

https://www.mlb.com/news/kyle-schwarber-phillies-free-agent-contract

"What's next, beyond Realmuto? Sources said Tuesday that if the Phillies re-sign both Schwarber and Realmuto, they do not have the payroll flexibility to acquire another big-time free agent from a group that includes Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette and Cody Bellinger."

Unsure about running it back