It\u2019s unclear how detailed actual negotiations between the Phillies and those two players have been. The delay in reaching any agreements might have nothing to do with a gulf between the sides. There is no standoff, at least not yet. The Pittsburgh offer, plus whatever else Schwarber has on the table, could push the Phillies to a larger number.<\/p>\n
This is a typical free-agent dance, although the rest of the league is well aware of how interested \u2014 and financially motivated \u2014 the Phillies are to retain Schwarber and Realmuto.<\/p>\n
The great unknown is what course the Phillies will take once they have clarity on Schwarber and Realmuto. Until this point, they have poked around on free-agent and trade targets but portrayed most of those quests only as alternatives should they not retain Schwarber or Realmuto, according to agents and rival clubs that have spoken with the Phillies. They need to know how much of the payroll will be allocated to their re-signed players before mapping out the rest.<\/p>\n
They have ideas, and it\u2019s not as if they have missed on a major acquisition yet while in this limbo. The high-end reliever market has generated the most action so far; the Phillies were not shopping in that aisle after acquiring Jhoan Duran at last summer\u2019s trade deadline.<\/p>\n
Essentially, not much has changed since the World Series ended and the offseason commenced. That can and will change in a hurry. Sometime soon. Maybe.<\/p>\n
The payroll is always a factor, even if it keeps climbing on an annual basis for the Phillies. They have told other clubs they prefer to deal from their major-league roster, a stance that is about shuffling their familiar mix and financial concerns. They would love to reallocate some of their payroll commitments, a wish that might not be granted.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2240031807-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Alec Bohm, who is eligible for free agency after next season, could be traded this offseason. (Ronald Martinez \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
It\u2019s why Alec Bohm, who will get close to $10 million through salary arbitration, remains a prime trade candidate. That number isn\u2019t prohibitive to the Phillies, but if they are to maintain a payroll near last year\u2019s approximate $313 million, those dollars matter. It\u2019s why they have held patient on jettisoning Nick Castellanos<\/a>, who is owed $20 million in 2026. They hope some team pays down even a small portion of that salary; this might be a pipe dream. But the Phillies have decided it\u2019s worth waiting out the market, especially with some smaller-revenue clubs expressing a newfound desire this offseason to spend money.<\/p>\n This is why league sources said the Phillies have entertained potential trade proposals for Matt Strahm, one of the most effective lefty relievers in MLB over the past few seasons. He\u2019ll make $7.5 million in 2026 \u2014 again not a large sum but meaningful if the Phillies can pair it with other savings to redeploy into their payroll.<\/p>\n Bohm and Strahm would be the two realistic trade candidates most likely to fetch the Phillies something useful in return, while providing financial relief. Castellanos and Taijuan Walker, who\u2019s owed $18 million in the final year of his contract, are much longer shots to net anything.<\/p>\n