The Philadelphia Phillies had a mostly underwhelming offseason. Yes, they made the big Jesus Luzardo trade, completing what might be the best starting rotation in the sport when healthy, but they didn't do much to address their lineup or bullpen.
Rather than pursuing an elite outfielder, the Phillies chose to sign Max Kepler to a one-year deal coming off an injury-riddled 2024 campaign. The Kepler signing could work out, but Phillies fans certainly wanted more. In the bullpen, the Phillies essentially swapped Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman for Jordan Romano and Joe Ross. Sure, Estevez and Hoffman didn't exactly shine in the 2024 postseason, but it's easy to say that their bullpen, which was already an issue in last year's NLDS, got even worse.
The offseason wasn't as fun as Phillies fans wanted it to be, but with spring training finally here, the fan base can start to look ahead at what's to come in 2025. Even with the underwhelming offseason, the Phillies are clear-cut World Series contenders despite a tough National League.
Most of the team's Opening Day roster is set into stone, but there are a few spots up for grabs. Not every decision Dave Dombrowski makes involving those three spots will be looked upon fondly. At least some Phillies fans won't want to see any of these three players on the team's Opening Day roster, but yet, there's a good chance Dombrowski will choose to roster them.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray's work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot,our weekly MLB newsletter and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB offseason.
3. Kody Clemens is too good of a player for the Phillies to let walk away for free
The Phillies have a stacked group of position players on their roster, but there's one major flaw: They're awfully left-handed. Five of their nine projected starters are left-handed hitters, several of whom (Kepler, Brandon Marsh, Bryson Stott) could wind up as part of a platoon.
The fact that the Phillies are so lefty-heavy makes Clemens' fit on the roster a tough one to figure out. Clemens is a left-handed hitter who primarily plays positions (first base, second base, left field) that are occupied by left-handed hitters. He also happens to have a total of 62 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers in the 370 times he has stepped up to the plate in his big-league career.
Clemens is a player the Phillies want to play primarily against right-handed pitchers, but so are the players at the positions he plays. His roster fit is far from clean, but he still has value as a bench bat.
In an ideal world, the Phillies would have him open the season in Triple-A and come up in case of an injury, but Clemens is out of options. This means that the Phillies would have to waive him if they want to send him to the Minors. They might decide to do that, but they also might decide Clemens is too talented of a player to simply waive and lose for nothing and instead choose to have him on their bench even with an undefined role.
2) Rafael Marchan will make the Phillies roster over a fan favorite
Garrett Stubbs has become somewhat of a fan and clubhouse favorite in Philadelphia over the last three years. He has struggled mightily at the plate in each of the last two seasons, but his clubhouse presence has allowed him to stick around. Well, Marchan's presence might change that.
Marchan only has 40 games of experience at the MLB level, but the five home runs he has hit in 121 plate appearances are two shy of Stubbs' MLB career mark in 399 fewer trips to the plate. Small sample size, sure, but Marchan has proven to be much more of an offensive threat than Stubbs.
Stubbs might be perceived to be the favorite to be J.T. Realmuto's backup over Marchan by Phillies fans due to his intangibles and his status as the incumbent, but Marchan has more upside and is out of options. Stubbs probably has something of a chance, but with depth always being crucial, the Phillies are likely to roll with Marchan, forcing Stubbs to begin the year in Triple-A.
1) The Phillies will roster Taijuan Walker whether Phillies fans want that to happen or not
This is the big one. Phillies fans have wanted Taijuan Walker gone essentially since he signed his massive four-year deal to join the club ahead of the 2023 campaign, and it's hard to blame them. Walker has a 5.27 ERA in 50 appearances (46 starts) over his first two seasons in Philadelphia, and had a 7.10 ERA in 19 appearances (15 starts) in 2024. It went so poorly for the right-hander that he did not make Philadelphia's postseason roster.
Walker's struggles will force him to begin the 2025 campaign in the bullpen, but will the Phillies really get rid of him? That's a tough decision for Dombrowski and Co. to make, largely because Walker still has $36 million owed to him over the next two years.
Walker will still have to earn his spot theoretically, but since his competition will likely consist of guys like Tyler Phillips, Max Lazar, and Nabil Crismatt, it'd be pretty shocking to see the Phillies cut bait entirely before the season even begins. The Phillies might finally decide enough is enough if (or when) Walker struggles during the regular season, but until then, he's probably likely to be with the team on Opening Day.