Phillies 'open-minded' offseason could include trading a postseason hero

Big changes look to be coming to the Philadelphia Phillies this winter. After two straight disappointing postseason exits, the clock is ticking on GM Dave Dombrowski to finally build a championship-winning roster around Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Zack Wheeler and the rest of this star-studded core. And Dombrowski doesn't seem content to just run things back: Already this offseason, we've heard whispers about the team's pursuit of Juan Soto, and Dombrowski himself has openly acknowledged that just about everything — from a big free-agent splash to dealing core pieces — is on the table.

“I think,” Dombrowski told reporters at the GM Meetings on Wednesday, “we’re [more] open-minded than we have been in other years.”

Owner John Middleton has given Dombrowski some money to play with, but "open-minded" sure sounds like something beyond just signing a few mid-tier free agents. It sounds like Dombrowski thinks it's time to shake things up, and that could mean a trade involving a recent fan favorite.

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Phillies postseason hero Ranger Suarez could be on the trade block this winter

Recent reports have suggested that everyone from Nick Castellanos to Alec Bohm to Brandon Marsh could be on the block, but The Athletic's Matt Gelb has added another interesting name to that mix: lefty starter Ranger Suarez. Suarez has been one of the team's most reliable postseason performers over the past couple of years, and fans will likely bristle at the thought of sending him elsewhere. A closer look, however, reveals that this could make more sense than you think.

Suarez has just one year of team control remaining, and it's hardly a guarantee that the team brings him back next winter. With Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sanchez locked up, plus top prospect Andrew Painter waiting in the wings, spending that sort of money on a fifth starting pitcher might not be a luxury the Phils can afford. Flipping him now, when he still has a full year left on his contract, could be the centerpiece of a package that nets the team a high-leverage reliever or corner outfield upgrade they're clearly looking for.

Replacing Suarez in the short-term won't be simple, but the Phillies have enough talent in-house — and there are enough mid-tier options available in free agency — to think that they can use Suarez to get better elsewhere without much of a drop-off. It's a tough break for a player who's given his all to the Phillies over his career, but sometimes drastic measures are required to bring home a World Series.