Dave Dombrowski and Rob Thomson sat at a podium in the media room at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday and talked about the Phillies collapse in 2024, their near-pathetic NLDS performance against the Mets, and how they He will spend the better part of an hour answering questions about whether he can fight. Breaking out of the backward trends they have fallen into.
Don’t expect too many details regarding the future of individual players. That’s not the style of Dombrowski or most modern executives, but neither player should be in mincing words mode after this season’s World Series or elimination hopes and dreams are dashed. It flared up.
The Phillies face a lot of questions and decisions this offseason. among them:
How do they fix crime?
They returned in 2023-2024 with much the same team, but with record salaries and limited time to win with the current mainstay of Zack Wheeler, Bryce Harper, Aaron Nola, and Trea Turner. Considering the framework, it is unlikely that the same thing will happen again.
Harper thinks his best years are still 10 years away, and most players in the clubhouse will say they don’t think that window is closed or closing, but that’s what the players say. is. Father Time doesn’t have to advocate for himself; he can strike and be done with it. This particular group, a team that includes Wheeler, Kyle Schwarber, and Nick Castellanos…all players without 10-year contracts, could have just watched their three best opportunities go away. I don’t know.
The lineup has to be fixed. The problem is left and center. Johan Rojas is talented defensively, but can probably only fit into a contender lineup if the other eight spots are solid. He’s far down the list of those responsible for the NLDS’ performance, but he’s the easiest and most obvious place to start when thinking about improving offense in a lineup with little flexibility.
The Brandon Marsh platoon situation also needs to be addressed. Platoons work, and the Mets are using Jesse Winker and J.D. Martinez as platoons, but running a platoon in multiple positions can cause trouble. The Phillies have done it in three different locations this season. It takes a lot to go right for all those few players to live up to their billing. It often sounds better in theory than it actually works.
If the Phillies keep Marsh as a platoon outfielder, his partner will need to be someone more productive than Austin Hayes. Hayes’ second-half slump was due in part to a kidney infection and hamstring strain, but the Phillies can only hope or assume he’ll be back to his best for 2025. I can’t do that. With or without Hayes, they need more outfield help. that’s right.
Where do Boehm and Stott fall?
Alec Bohm started the All-Star Game this season, taking a step forward despite a miserable end to the year. He hit over .300 with runners in scoring position, setting career highs with a .280 batting average, 44 doubles, and a .779 OPS.
He was also benched in Game 2 of the NLDS due to a combination of poor at-bats and a poor reaction to that poor at-bat. It would have sounded shocking all season long to hear that Boehm would be benched for Game 2 of the playoffs, and it would be hard not to read what that means for his future. As mentioned earlier, the Phillies have locked down their starters at seven positions, so rebuilding the offense will require some creativity.
After the Phillies’ season, Bohm was asked if he thought he was at a crossroads in his career.
“No, I know where it’s going to be next year,” he said, hinting that it will be Philadelphia.
Stott batted .200 this season in 160 at-bats with a fastball over 93 mph. Last season, he hit .319 in an even larger sample. He’s struggled to get up to speed for most of the year, and the Phillies need to quickly determine if that’s a solvable problem or if they could lower his ceiling significantly. be.
Will Hoffman return?
Jeff Hoffman posted a 1.65 ERA through the final weekend of the regular season, then allowed 10 runs in 21/3 innings, resulting in two of the Phillies’ three playoff losses.
He is a free agent and should be paid well given his performance in the 2023 and 2024 regular seasons. But could the Phillies be the team to pay him $12-13 million per year on a three-year deal based on what they saw in the playoffs? It’s very difficult to judge relievers because a few appearances can outweigh the previous dozen appearances, depending on the situation and time of year.
The Phillies have a lot more to accomplish this winter, which is a big deal considering the amount of money that Hoffman’s team will be asking for.
Defense change?
Turner has been one of the worst defensive shortstops in baseball since signing with the Phillies, and maybe the worst. In 2023, his 23 errors led the majors. In 2024, he played 35 fewer games and committed 17 errors, but his fielding percentage remained the same.
Not all errors are unique. Some are everyday bobbles. There are also bad throws. Turner is a great athlete who won’t lose that part, but shortstop doesn’t seem like a long-term position for him and if the Phillies are honest with themselves and are trying to assemble the best roster possible for 2025. , it might happen. That includes removing Turner from shortstop.
They will not want to make this decision as he is only two years into an 11-year contract. Turner wasn’t signed for $300 million to play left field, center field, or second base. But he’s underpowered as a shortstop, and moving to defense could keep him healthier and more effective for a full six months.
behind the plate
JT Realmuto was considered the best catcher in baseball when the Phillies acquired him from Miami, then signed him to a five-year, $115.5 million contract through 2025.
He’s no longer the best catcher in baseball. He still has a top-notch all-around skillset as a backstop, but his bat isn’t what it once was.
From 2016 to 2022, Realmuto had a .278 batting average and .802 OPS.
Over the past two seasons, he has a batting average of .258 and an OPS of .757.
In the playoffs, he was 0-for-11, and his postseason batting average dropped to .216 and on-base percentage to .295.
The Phillies have no choice but to keep him fresh in 2025. He played in 134, 139, and 135 games from 2021 to 2023, and would have been close to those numbers this season if he hadn’t torn his meniscus.
A more competent backup to Realmuto is a must, and you need someone who can start 50 games without cratering the retail version if necessary. Rafael Marchand is 25 years old and has been impressive in his short stint this summer, hitting .294 in place of Realmuto.
Marchand, who has been injured frequently throughout his minor league career, should be ready to step into the role as Realmuto’s backup. That is unless the Phillies use him as a trade chip for something else and find a backup elsewhere.
The Phillies will face many more questions over the next four months before their pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater, but many will be asked of Dombrowski and Thompson next Tuesday. The year-end press conference is coming much earlier than expected.
