The Philadelphia Phillies have an aging roster, and notable names are set to hit the free agent market within the next two years. The organization also has players on the open market from the 2024 team, such as Jeff Hoffman, Carlos Estévez and Austin Hays.
The Phillies have many big decisions to make and need to start planning for the future. This team could look very different starting as early as 2026.
Nick Castellanos has two years remaining on his contract, while Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto have one. Given their age and likely decline in production, bringing any of them back once their contracts expire might not make sense.
Phillies should extend Edmundo Sosa
An under-the-radar extension the Phillies should make soon is utility man Edmundo Sosa. The Phillies acquired Sosa at the 2022 trade deadline in a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. He turned into one of the team’s top bench options and proved to be able to play at a high level when needed to start for an extended period.
Sosa played third base and second base in 2024, but the 28-year-old was primarily used at shortstop when Trea Turner missed 38 games with a hamstring injury. He filled in well for Turner both offensively and defensively and helped keep the team competitive without one of the top players in the lineup.
Sosa slashed .257/.313/.422 with a .735 OPS, 12 doubles, four triples, seven home runs and 31 RBI in 90 games in 2024. He stole seven bases and had a .981 fielding percentage at shortstop.
Although Sosa is primarily used in the infield, he has very little major-league experience in the outfield. He’s an athletic player who provides a spark of energy when on the field.
The Phillies still have control of Sosa over the next two seasons. It could be wise to lock up a key bench piece soon rather than wait to potentially lose him in free agency in 2027.
Phillies should avoid an extension for Ranger Suárez
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and the rest of the front office have a big decision regarding one of their starting pitchers. Ranger Suárez is in his final year of arbitration and is set to hit the open market after this upcoming season.
Suárez developed into an above-average pitcher since being switched to a full-time starter in 2022. He has had great success in the regular season and came up big in the postseason over the last three years. Extending the left-hander would’ve been a no-brainer until June 30 of this past season.
Suárez was one of the best pitchers in baseball through June 25. He was an early Cy Young favorite and had his season ERA as low as 1.32 at one point. His season took a turn for the worse once July hit.
Suárez had a 2-6 record from June 30 through his final start of the regular season. He had a 6.61 ERA in July, a 5.00 ERA in August and a 6.04 ERA in September. He pitched through the sixth inning only once in that span and missed about a month due to injury.
The potential is still there for Suárez. He’s 29 years old and has proven to have the talent to be one of the game’s elite starting pitchers. His second-half falloff in 2024 is concerning when deciding whether to sign him to a multi-year deal.
Suárez is projected to make over $11 million in 2025 and $18.9 million annually on his next contract, per Spotrac. The Phillies already have Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sánchez signed to multi-year deals with top pitching prospect Andrew Painter set to make his major league debut. Suárez is a fan favorite, but the Phillies should part ways and avoid a contract extension with the southpaw.