Philly Front Office

The High Hopes podcast has been living in 2026 for years now, but it’s FINALLY…still not here. The 2026 Phillies matter because they effect the current off season. We have not been this stocked with good, close to ready talent since we emptied the cupboards from 2009-2011. Even though most of the guys we traded didn’t pan out, we were still left in the dark ages once that core aged out. The Dave Dombrowski era has been about rebuilding this whole organization into a sustainable power. They want to win in 2025, but they also want a shot in 2026 and beyond.

AROUND THE DIAMOND

So who is definitely going to be here in 2026? Obviously, things can always change, but let’s see who is still under contract. I’m going to leave relievers out of this because we don’t have any big contracts and they are volatile. The remaining contract is in parenthesis.

First Base – Bryce Harper (6 years, $153m)

Shortstop – Trea Turner (8 years, $218m)

Right Field – Nick Castellanos (1 year, $20m)

SP – Zack Wheeler (2 years, $84m)

SP – Aaron Nola (5 years, $122.5m)

SP – Christopher Sanchez (3 years, $19.5m)

Dead Weight – Taijuan Walker (1 year, $18m)

JT Realmuto will probably resign at catcher and I can’t see Kyle Schwarber not getting extended but they are not under contract in 2026.

We also have 3B Alec Bohm (1yr), 2B Bryson Stott (2 yrs), OF Brandon Marsh (2 yrs), CF Johan Rojas (4 yrs), and IF Edmundo Sosa (1 yr) under team control through arbitration.

To sum up, we have 3 pitchers, possibly an entire infield, not much outfield, and no catcher.

READY PROSPECTS

SP Andrew Painter – He is going to be up but with limited innings in 2025. Expect a full season from him in 2026. The Phillies look at him as a top of the rotation ace in the making.

SS/3B – Aiden Miller – He is expected to contend for a job out of spring training in what will be his age 22 season in 2026. He hits and cares about his defense.

CF – Justin Crawford – There is talk that a hot start or injury could land him in Philly this season, but this true center fielder will be 22 and expected to earn the starter job in 2026.

We also have a catcher named Eduardo Tait. He is only 18 right now and has scouts drooling. He won’t be ready by 2026 though. Just mentioning him because of our glaring need at catcher.

THE 2025 PHILLIES

The current team needs are clear. We need bullpen arms, at least 1 outfielder, and seem to want to trade Alec Bohm and maybe Ranger Suarez. If we do that, we will then obviously need a pitcher and a 3rd baseman. No one is untouchable, except probably Painter, but we aren’t just going to give away the farm again either.

For all the talk about trading Alec Bohm, there does not seem to be any idea out there to actually replace him. But what about Alex Bregman or Willy Adames??? If we sign Bregman, that’s a 3rd monster contract in the infield and ties up 3 positions until the end of the decade with guys in their 30s. That means you only have 1 spot for Stott and Miller. It is certainly possible that they go this route and eventually trade one of them (probably Stott for financial reasons) but it would seriously strap the current team financially right now.

There is a ton of smoke to the Phillies pursuit of Garrett Crochet. He is 25 and broke out big time last year for the atrocious White Sox. If the Phillies want him, they are going to have to shell out at LEAST Miller or Crawford. If they get him and likely extend him, they are looking at a full 5 arm rotation on the books for 2026 and beyond. It also means that Ranger Suarez would be much more available right now.

But wait, if they get Crochet, doesn’t that mean they don’t have either a 3B or CF in 2026? Exactly. This is tough. Again, they are not going to sell the farm without a plan for the future. These are all dominos. They are not going to push the first one unless they are prepared for all the rest to fall. Dombrowski has a plan.

If certain events happen, you can probably cross possibilities off the list. If Bregman and Adames sign elsewhere, that means the Phillies are likely going to keep Aiden Miller. Next year’s free agent market for infielders doesn’t offer any alternatives. There is always the possibility that they extend Bohm, but that is not something that seems on the horizon. A Bohm trade would mean a stop gap at third this year (Prediction? Yoan Moncada, Edmundo Sosa platoon) before handing the keys to Miller in 2026.

Because of the 3rd base situation, the likely only way the Phillies get Crochet is if Chicago accepts Justin Crawford instead of Miller. In fact, the move probably hasn’t happened yet because of that. Crawford is preferred because they could theoretically run a Jose Rojas/Brandon Marsh platoon in center.

There is always a chance that John Middleton overrules the long term approach and gives Dombrowski the Memphis Raines “Okay, let’s ride.” Then things get crazy. Let’s say the Phillies pull the trigger and sign Willy Adames to a 6 year, $150m contract to be the 3rd baseman. This means Bohm is out of here, possibly for a good reliever. It also means that Miller is now expendable. He and maybe Crawford go to Chicago for Garret Crochet. With 4 arms and Painter in the fold, Ranger Suarez is the trade piece to get a solid left fielder.

THE 2026 PHILLIES AND BEYOND

So the 2026 Phillies could feature 2 rookies on minimum deals supporting Turner, Harper and the approaching 30 Day Care. They would also have 4 solid starters, payroll flexibility, and a bright future into the 2030s

OR

We have Harper, Stott, Turner, and Willy Adames locking down the infield for Wheeler, Crochet, Painter, Nola, and Sanchez. Young talent would be at a minimum though as the team ages into its 30s and then late 30s while still under contract.

As much as the latter would be awesome this year and next, I can’t get 2011 and then 2012-2018 out of my mind. Dombrowski and Middleton are trying to thread the needle here. We’ll see…