{"id":108000,"date":"2026-02-07T19:05:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T19:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/108000\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T19:05:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T19:05:08","slug":"phillies-2026-offseason-check-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/108000\/","title":{"rendered":"Phillies 2026 Offseason Check In"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

News<\/a>\u2022Phillies<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Philadelphia Phillies-Facebook <\/p>\n

As the calendar turns to February, the thought of baseball begins to enter people\u2019s minds.<\/p>\n

Pitchers and catchers will report on February 11th<\/a>, which is just two weeks away.<\/p>\n

While the offseason has been severely underwhelming compared to what fans had expected, the Phillies will still have a formidable roster heading into the 2026 season.<\/p>\n

They took care of business by resigning both Kyle Schwarber to a 5-year, $150 million contract extension<\/a> and JT Realmuto to a 3-year, $45 million contract. They added a veteran outfielder, Adolis Garcia, who\u2019s spent his entire career with the Texas Rangers<\/a>, by signing him to a one-year, $10 million contract.<\/p>\n

The Phillies are also hopeful that rookie outfielder Justin Crawford and rookie starting pitcher Andrew Painter will have an immediate impact on the team.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/a>Credit: Philadelphia Phillies-Facebook<\/p>\n

The problems lie with the fact that they missed out on the big fish in Bo Bichette, who decided that the New York Mets<\/a> would be a better place for him to win.<\/p>\n

To quote the great movie Dodgeball, \u201cThat\u2019s a bold move, Cotton, let\u2019s see if it pays off for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Mets pretty much outbid the Phillies<\/a> by offering him a three-year, $126 million contract. Bichette is owed $42 million with opt-outs after the first and second year. The kicker is that he has an opt-out after the first and second year, so it\u2019s very likely this could be a one-year deal.<\/p>\n

The Phillies also lost key starting pitcher Ranger Suarez to the Boston Red Sox<\/a>, who signed him to a 5-year $130 million contract<\/a>. Suarez is a great pitcher, especially in the postseason. Still, his injury history and a history of tailing off at the end of the regular season made the Phillies hesitant to offer him that much money, especially when top prospect Andrew Painter will hopefully be on the opening-day roster in 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Running It Back<\/p>\n

At this point, it feels like the same team that lost in the NLDS last year, and fans are concerned that this season will involve much of the same. The Mets and Dodgers<\/a> both got significantly better as the Dodgers went out and signed top outfield FA Kyle Tucker, joining an already absurd lineup<\/a>. The Atlanta Braves will look to have a bounce-back year as well, hoping guys like Austin Riley, Ronald Acuna Jr, Spencer Strider, and Matt Olson can all stay healthy throughout the season. The NL East will be much more competitive this year, and the Phillies are returning most of the same team.<\/p>\n

Rob Thomson did not take kindly to the term \u201crunning it back,\u201d as he made it known in his press conference a few weeks ago that this team is different in terms of the bullpen, the addition of Adolis Garcia, Otto Kemp, and the opportunity that Justin Crawford will have this season as well. We got an outfielder to replace losing Kepler and eventually Nick Castellanos, Otto Kemp, who was solid but is most likely a platoon player, and an improved bullpen despite losing Matt Strahm. That\u2019s some real groundbreaking stuff, according to manager Rob Thomson. I beg to differ.<\/p>\n

The consensus among the Phillies fans I\u2019ve spoken to this offseason is that they\u2019re very underwhelmed with how they handled it. Now that\u2019s a take I agree with. Getting Schwarber back is enormous<\/a>, and they are hopeful that Adolis Garcia can provide a spark for this team as he has in the past for the Rangers, especially in the postseason. I\u2019m also very eager to see how top SS prospect Aidan Miller looks in spring training this year<\/a>. It wouldn\u2019t surprise me if he gets called up before June if Alec Bohm is either traded or struggles early on.<\/p>\n

One of the last pieces to fall this offseason will be what happens with Nick Castellanos. The Phillies owe him $20 million next year, which is highway robbery on Castellanos\u2019 end. It\u2019s been expected that he would be traded or released all offseason. While neither has yet to happen, the Phillies will most likely be forced to release him, especially after the way he handled things with Rob Thomson last year.<\/p>\n

Spring Is Upon Us<\/p>\n

Pitchers and catchers report next week in Clearwater, Florida, for the start of 2026 spring training.<\/p>\n

It feels like just yesterday we were watching Kerkering throw the ball over JT\u2019s head while the Eagles<\/a> lost to the Giants<\/a> that same night.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t wait to see what heartbreaking thing happens this year.<\/p>\n

Tags: 2026 Spring Training<\/a> Aaron Nola<\/a> Alec Bohm<\/a> Boston Red Sox<\/a> Bryce Harper<\/a> Bryson Stott<\/a> Dodgers<\/a> J.T. Realmuto<\/a> JT Realmuto<\/a> Kyle Schwarber<\/a> LA Dodgers<\/a> Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a> Mets<\/a> MLB<\/a> New York Mets<\/a> Nick Castellanos<\/a> NL East<\/a> Philadelphia Phillies<\/a> Phillies<\/a> Ranger Suarez<\/a> Red Sox<\/a> Rob Thomson<\/a> Spring Training<\/a> Texas Rangers<\/a> Trea Turner<\/a> Zach Wheeler<\/a> <\/p>\n

Categorized:News<\/a> Phillies<\/a><\/p>\n