3 more Philadelphia Phillies who won't be back in 2025 and why

The Philadelphia Phillies went 95-67 in the regular season, winning their first NL East title since 2011 and earning a bye. They didn't finish the regular season super strongly, but with their postseason pedigree, a deep run was expected. They wound up winning a total of one postseason game.

Their offense, for the most part, failed to show up, and their bullpen was even worse. They were one of, if not the best team on paper, but when it mattered most, they folded in a huge way.

With that in mind, major shakeups are needed in the City of Brotherly Love. Their core is pretty defined with guys like Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Zack Wheeler, and Aaron Nola locked in on expensive deals, but changes around the margins could be what puts this team over the top.

For the Phillies to make necessary changes, that means not all 26 players who were on their postseason roster will be returning for the 2025 campaign. FanSided's Zach Pressnell listed three free agents who won't be back, and that's just the start of the changes that will have to be made following their embarrassing exit.

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3) Kolby Allard will be non-tendered this offseason

Kolby Allard's role wasn't a big one by any means, but he was signed this past offseason to serve as pitching depth. When he was called upon, unfortunately, he didn't do much.

In seven appearances (four starts) the southpaw posted a 5.00 ERA in 27 innings of work. He had a couple of solid outings, but for the most part, probably shouldn't be on their roster barring injuries.

With that in mind, the 27-year-old is set to hit arbitration this offseason, and is out of options. Instead of giving him more than the $1 million he received in 2025, they'd be better off finding someone comparable for cheaper. Allard's inability to be optioned to the minors seals the deal here. Perhaps they'll bring him back on a minor league deal, but Allard is almost certainly going to be non-tendered, making it more likely than not that he'll be departing.

2) The Austin Hays trade did not work out for the Phillies

Dave Dombrowski had one clear job to do at this year's trade deadline - get the Phillies over the top. He attempted to do this by acquiring several players, one of which was Austin Hays.

The logic behind the Hays acquisition was easy to follow. Brandon Marsh, the team's starting left fielder, is a left-handed hitter who cannot hit left-handed pitching. Hays is a right-handed hitter who crushed left-handed pitching with the Baltimore Orioles and despite having a down year, had a decent track record of being an everyday player.

Hays was unable to establish himself not only as an everyday outfielder, but even as a platoon player. He had a .672 OPS in 22 games with Philadelphia, and started just one of their two postseason games against left-handed pitchers. He missed time due to injury, and frankly, Weston Wilson looked a whole lot better offensively in his place against southpaws.

He does have an extra year of control, but with Hays likely to receive a small bump from the $6.3 million he was owed this season, it feels safe to say that he'll be non-tendered. The Phillies can get more bang for their buck at that price.

1) The Phillies could use a better backup catcher than Garrett Stubbs

One thing that feels abundantly clear now is that J.T. Realmuto is not the player he once was. He's still among the best catchers in the league, but he's not the best. He's declining, and that trend should only continue due to the fact that he'll be 34 years old by Opening Day. He was decent when healthy, but was limited to just 99 games due to injury and really struggled in October, going hitless in their four games.

Realmuto should still be the team's starter, but he should not be relied on to give 130+ games of elite production as he had for so many years. With that in mind, getting a solid backup is important. Garrett Stubbs is a great clubhouse guy and has had some fun moments in his time with the Phillies, but he's also far from impressive as a hitter. We saw that very clearly when he attempted to step in as their No. 1 catcher when Realmuto was injured.

In 54 games this season, Stubbs slashed .207/.296/.262 with one home run and 11 RBI. He has a total of seven home runs and 27 extra-base hits in 520 plate appearances over parts of six MLB seasons. He has some speed and does a solid job at controlling the running game, but other than that, he doesn't add much on-field value.

They'll miss him in the clubhouse, but even if it's Rafael Marchan, the Phillies would benefit by adding a better backup catcher.