Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski spoke to reporters (together with Matt Gelb of The Atheltic) throughout his end-of-season press convention at this time concerning the membership’s plans headed into 2025 after a disappointing finish to their season that noticed them knocked out of the NLDS by the division rival Mets in 4 video games. With the membership’s whole lineup and beginning rotation beneath group management for 2025, at first look it could appear as if the Phillies don’t have many apparent locations the place they will enhance. That gained’t cease the membership’s entrance workplace from on the lookout for upgrades, nonetheless, as Gelb relays feedback from Dombrowski about being “open-minded” and “exploring” potentialities when different groups inevitably come calling this winter.
That might imply making adjustments to the gamers on the roster, after all, however one potential change Dombrowski highlighted may come internally: much less of J.T. Realmuto behind the plate. The 33-year-old veteran has spent the previous six seasons in Philadelphia and is getting into the ultimate 12 months of his contract with the membership in 2025. The three-time All-Star completed within the high seven of NL MVP voting as not too long ago as 2022 and has been an above common hitter in each season he’s spent with the Phillies, but in addition endured one of many worst seasons of his profession in 2024.
The veteran backstop missed simply over a month after present process knee surgical procedure in June, and whereas he posted a stable .266/.322/.429 (109 wRC+) slash line within the 99 video games he did play, he did so with lackluster defensive numbers behind the plate that stand in sharp distinction to the popularity he earned as one of many sport’s elite defensive catchers earlier in his profession. Realmuto’s blocking and framing have been each properly beneath common per Statcast, and Fangraphs’s Protection metric rated him as simply the tenth most dear defender of 16 catchers with not less than 400 plate appearances this 12 months. Given Realmuto’s waning defensive worth behind the plate and the chance that extra relaxation may assist him keep wholesome and productive, it’s not totally a shock that the membership would think about broaching the potential of Realmuto taking up much less of the group’s catching duties with the veteran.
With that being mentioned, nonetheless, the potential of Realmuto enjoying much less incessantly behind the plate raises questions on whether or not he’ll spent the additional time enjoying elsewhere within the lineup or on the bench. It’s hardly unparalleled for even probably the most well-regarded veteran catchers to start out spending extra time at DH or first base as they enter their mid-30’s, with Royals veteran Salvador Perez (who performed simply 91 of his 158 video games in 2024 at catcher) standing out as a first-rate instance. That could be simpler mentioned than accomplished for the Phillies, although, because the membership at present has Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber put in at first base and DH regularly. Each sluggers have expertise within the outfield and will theoretically play left area now and again to release time away from catcher for Realmuto, although it’s unclear if the Phillies are prepared to maneuver both star out of their ordinary place to accommodate Realmuto.
Discovering enjoying time away from catcher for Realmuto may very well be much more sophisticated relying on how the membership seems to overtake its outfield combine. Dombrowski indicated that each Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos determine to characteristic prominently of their outfield combine subsequent 12 months, however he didn’t supply those self same ensures to Johan Rojas after a disappointing season the place he posted a lackluster 68 wRC+ in 363 journeys to the plate. If the membership plans to maneuver Rojas into one thing nearer to a fourth outfielder function, they’d have the flexibility to make an addition in both left or middle area, relying on their willingness to maneuver Marsh again to middle regularly after he began simply 35 video games on the place in 2024.
Whereas a pursuit of famous person outfielder and high free agent Juan Soto could be a shock for a Phillies membership that already has plenty of cash tied up in quite a lot of star gamers, the approaching outfield class is deep in attention-grabbing bats akin to Tyler O’Neill, Jurickson Profar and (relying on his participant choice resolution) Cody Bellinger who may slide into the membership’s outfield combine to enhance the offense. In fact, any addition to the outfield combine would solely serve to additional restrict the membership’s flexibility in enjoying Realmuto away from the catcher place, however that may very well be properly value it if it meant upgrading the offense total.
Because the Phillies ponder the place to make adjustments this winter, one place that gained’t be taking place is the dugout. Dombrowski revealed earlier at this time that supervisor Rob Thomson has been prolonged by means of the tip of the 2026 season, including a further 12 months to a contract that in any other case would have left the skipper a lame duck headed into subsequent season. When discussing his latest contract with reporters (together with Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer) Thomson made it clear that he expects Philadelphia to be the ultimate cease in his prolonged teaching profession. Thomson famously deliberate to retire following the 2022 season when he was nonetheless bench coach of the Phillies, however plans modified when the membership fired then-manager Joe Girardi, promoted Thomson to the highest job, and the membership went on an inconceivable run to the World Collection.
In all, the Phillies have posted a robust 250-185 document beneath Thomson’s administration within the common season, to go along with a stable 20-11 document in postseason video games after the membership made it to the playoffs in all three years he’s been on the helm. Despite all that success, nonetheless, the 61-year-old hardly appears considering committing to a prolonged tenure within the Phillies dugout as March relays that Thomson plans to take issues year-by-year after his newest contract expires following the 2026 season. That’s hardly an unparalleled association for veteran managers, with Rockies skipper Bud Black standing out as a notable present instance of a supervisor who has taken quite a lot of one-year extensions quite than work out a longer-term association, together with one just final week.