3 upcoming Phillies free agents who've been good but don't need to be re-signed

The Philadelphia Phillies will have some pivotal roster decisions to make this offseason. Their notable free agents include Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, and Ranger Suárez. The club may not re-sign all three of these players.

Schwarber is having a career year and is a candidate to return to Philly next year because of it. The Phillies do not have another catcher looking to take over as their starter, making it possible that Realmuto is back with the organization in 2026. Which players on Philly's roster that are not under contract following the season have done well for the team, but don't need to be re-signed?

3 Phillies free agents who've been good but don't need to be re-signed

David Robertson, RHP

The Phillies decided to bring back free agent reliever David Robertson in mid-July to add another experienced pitcher to their bullpen. Reliever José Alvarado returned from his 80-game suspension in mid-August, but will be ineligible to be on Philly's playoff roster due to the conditions of the suspension. This was one of the reasons they signed Robertson.

Despite not pitching until the second half of the season, Robertson has been decent for the Phillies. He has a 2.84 ERA in 12.2 innings over his first 14 contests. He allowed only one earned run in his first nine relief appearances.

According to an X (formerly Twitter) post from Phils Tailgate, Matt Strahm needs to pitch 60 regular season innings in 2025 and pass a physical at the end of the year for his conditional club option in 2026 to become a one-year $7.5 million contract. He has pitched 58.1 innings so far, making it likely he reaches the innings incentive in his deal before the end of the regular season at the end of September.

Alvarado has a $9 million club option that the Phillies may exercise this offseason as well. If both relievers return, it decreases the chances that they need Robertson at the start of next season if the veteran still wants to pitch in 2026. They could bring him back on a one-year deal to add more depth to their bullpen going into next season, but it may not be necessary.

Max Kepler, OF

Max Kepler would not have been a candidate to be written about in this list earlier in the summer. He was having an abysmal season with Philly. However, he turned things around with a .273/.298/.491 slash line and a .789 OPS during August.

The 32-year-old did even better in his first seven games of September. Kepler has an outstanding 1.019 OPS and a .320/.419/.600 line so far this month. His solid play has forced manager Rob Thomson to platoon Nick Castellanos with the rest of the manager's outfield rotation.

Brandon Marsh will be entering his second year under arbitration, and Harrison Bader has a $10 million mutual option. Philly and Bader could agree on a new deal this offseason that prevents him from becoming a free agent in 2027. His recent play since mid-August is certainly worthy of an extension.

Castellanos is also under contract with the Phillies for one more year. Philadelphia also has top prospect Justin Crawford eager for an opportunity to make the club's roster in 2026. He showed he is ready for a chance in the Majors with his great year in Triple-A with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Even though Thomson likes to platoon the Phillies outfielders, Kepler is not certain to return with Philly on a new contract next year. There are several other free agents at the position who the team could look to sign this winter.

Ranger Suárez, LHP

The Phillies' starting pitchers, besides Suárez, are under contract for 2026. Even if Taijuan Walker is traded or moved between the bullpen and rotation again, they also have top prospect Andrew Painter in their plans to make his Major League debut at some point next season.

Suárez has been excellent recently, specifically following the injury news that Zack Wheeler would be out for the rest of the regular season and playoffs. The left-hander has surrendered zero earned runs in three of his last four appearances.

He finished with 11 strikeouts versus the Washington Nationals on August 24. Suárez totaled 12 strikeouts in his latest outing on Sept. 9 against the New York Mets. The 30-year-old held New York to one hit, three walks, and zero earned runs in one game to help the Phillies put more distance between themselves and the Mets for first place in the National League East division.

Suárez is pitching well at the right time to help secure a spot in the Phillies' starting rotation for the playoffs. If he has the opportunity to pitch in multiple contests during the playoffs and does well, that will help him even more in getting the contract he is seeking in free agency. It will also increase the likelihood of his deal getting more expensive, making it more certain that the Phillies don't re-sign him.