This offseason has not been Dave Dombrowski's finest hour as Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations. The Phillies essentially re-signed Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto, swapped out Matt Strahm for Brad Keller in the bullpen and let Ranger Suárez walk as a free agent without protest. Bo Bichette played them like a fiddle, and now the roster feels like a slightly lesser version of last season's NLDS team.
Dombrowski earned a bit of grace on Monday, however, when the Phillies inked 28-year-old southpaw Jesús Luzardo to a five-year, $135 million extension. He's now locked up through 2032 at $27 million annually. This keeps Luzardo out of free agency and means Philly controls its entire rotation through at least next season, with Luzardo and ace Cristopher Sánchez under lock and key into the 2030s.
It was an incredible move to sign the NL's seventh-place Cy Young finisher to deal that is likely below his true market value. But with so much future salary on the books, it could come at the expense of these soon-to-be free agents.
José Alvarado, LHP
José Alvarado's 2025 campaign was cut short when he was suspended (and made ineligible for the postseason) for a positive PED test. Alvarado apologized and should reclaim a high-leverage spot in the bullpen this upcoming season, a contract year. Before the hammer dropped, the big lefty pitched 26 innings with a 3.81 ERA and 32 strikeouts for Philadelphia.
There is always interest in quality relievers, so Alvarado should field a healthy market in free agency. Alvarado is especially valuable as a lefty with triple-digit heat, who more often than not strikes a healthy balance between swing-and-miss and playable ground-ball contact. The command issues pop up every now and then, and Alvarado has a tendency to get hit hard when he does serve up a middle-middle meatball. But he's undeniably talented, with years of success in high-leverage situations.
Given Philly's other investments in the bullpen and the boatload of long-term money now tied up in the rotation, don't be shocked if Alvarado's price tag balloons out of Dombrowski's comfort zone.
Edmundo Sosa, INF
Edmundo Sosa is another 2026-27 free agent whose Phillies future is in more doubt than ever. A quality defender all over the infield who's especially productive against left-handed pitching (.895 OPS vs. southpaws in 2025), Sosa has real value to the Phillies as Bryson Stott's platoon partner. Whether the Phillies can bid high enough for his services on the open market, however, is unclear.
Sosa, 30, is coming off his best individual campaign. He hit for solid average (.276) and power (11 home runs in 293 at-bats), with a .777 OPS (109 OPS+) overall. The Phillies could lose both Stott and Alec Bohm in the next couple years, so it's not like the infield is out of space. But, on the other hand, Aidan Miller is ticketed for a 2027 debut (probably at third base) while Otto Kemp and other top prospects, such as Aroon Escobar and Chase DeMartini, will demand MLB looks soon enough.
Thinking long term between Stott and Sosa, the Phillies should pay the former if it's an either-or situation. Stott has an extra year of control as is and he's on the upswing, showcasing major growth as a hitter to complement his excellent base-running and defense. Sosa can probably get more money and a more stable role on a lesser team somewhere else.
Jhoan Durán, RHP
Philadelphia has another year of arbitration with Jhoan Durán before he becomes a free agent after the 2027 season. This is not necessarily something Phillies fans should panic about; there is extreme external pressure for the front office to hammer out a long-term deal here. But the reliever market continues to explode year over year. With so much money tied up elsewhere, is Philadelphia going to spring for the $20 million-plus annually it will require to lock up Durán? It's a fair question.
The Phillies gave up two excellent prospects to acquire Durán in Mick Abel — who's enjoying a dominant spring on the mound for Minnesota — and teenage catcher Eduardo Tait. With Andrew Painter's fastball looking flat and JT Realmuto's shelf life waning, those losses could sting even more in the years ahead.
Durán, for his part, was every bit the marquee closer Philadelphia needed to anchor the bullpen down the stretch last season. He pitched 20.1 innings across 23 appearances for the Phils after the deadline, with a 2.18 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. The 100-plus fastball and high-90s splitter might be the nastiest two-pitch combo in baseball, Mason Miller's fastball-slider notwithstanding. If the Phillies get 2.5 years of an elite closer and push deep into October once again, it will be hard to complain about this trade. But if Durán ultimately walks and the Phillies don't capitalize on this abbreviated window, you know the fan base will express its anger.
Alec Bohm, 3B
You won't find a single Phillies fan complaining when Bohm signs elsewhere next winter, but Luzardo's extension does dramatically decrease whatever odds remain of a long-term union with the former All-Star (seriously!) third baseman. Bohm fell off a bit last season, but he put together consecutive 97-RBI campaigns in 2023 and 2024; he deserves a bit of slack. Of course, it'd be nice if Bohm could pull and elevate a few more hits over the wall, but his ability to generate consistent contact in the cleanup spot is helpful.
The Phillies will almost certainly allow Bohm to play out his contract and leave as a free agent, with Miller set to take over at the hot corner in 2027. There's also a world in which Miller forces Philly's hand, earns a midseason call-up this year and bumps Bohm to the trade block. That is the ideal outcome, as it means Miller is on a rocket-like ascent. It also means Philadelphia can recoup some value, however minuscule, before Bohm exits stage left.
Bohm does not fit the profile of what Philadelphia most needs in a No. 4 hitter. He also doesn't defend very well and his postseason track record is abysmal (.660 OPS). Those factors will ease the pain of this loss, but don't get it twisted: Bohm is a quality MLB player who will almost certainly be gone within the calendar year.