6 Phillies players who definitely won't be back in 2026 after brutal playoff exit

The 2025 season ended much too soon for the Philadelphia Phillies and their fans. This was supposed to be the group that finally got back to the World Series and slayed those monstrous postseason demons. It didn't play out that way, and the Phillies' elimination from the NLDS at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers has created even more horrific playoff memories.

After suffering through their third straight postseason not reaching the World Series and the second way-too-early NLDS elimination, there is change brewing in Philadelphia. You can expect plenty of upheaval up and down the roster this winter (subscription required), per Jayson Stark of The Athletic.

Manager Rob Thomson could be one of those changes, but the Phillies also have a handful of players who will hit free agency after the World Series. The two biggest names are catcher J.T. Realmuto and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. It feels like the Phillies will do what they can to bring these two back on new deals and find other options for changing the makeup of the roster. But that remains to be seen.

So, which players will Phillies fans be saying goodbye to this offseason, for better or for worse?

6 Phillies players who definitely won't be back in 2026 after brutal playoff exit

Max Kepler, OF

Signed for $10 million in the offseason, the Max Kepler experiment in left field was a bust for the majority of the season. He scuffled through the first four months, hitting .203 with a .655 OPS with 11 home runs and 33 RBIs through the end of July. It looked like the Phillies might cut ties with the 11-year MLB veteran around the trade deadline.

But they hung in there with Kepler, and he finally turned his season around. From Aug. 1 on, he hit .250 with a .791 OPS, with seven home runs and 19 RBIs in 33 games, finishing the season batting .219 with a .691 OPS, 18 home runs and 52 RBIs in 127 games. While Kepler some what salvaged his season with a hot August and a solid NLDS, it would be surprising if the Phillies opted to re-sign him this winter.

David Robertson, RHP

Signed as a free agent late in July, David Robertson was brought in for his third stint with the Phillies to shore up a struggling bullpen. The 40-year-old started off strong in August, posting a 1.17 ERA over his first 7 2/3 innings. He struggled down the stretch, however, with a 6.30 ERA in 10 September innings.

Robertson made one appearance in the playoffs, in Game 1 of the NLDS, and was charged with two runs in 1/3 of an inning. After the late struggles he faced, it feels like Robertson won't be part of the front office's plans for 2026, and he might just decide to hang up the cleats once and for all.

Walker Buehler, RHP

The Phillies signed Walker Buehler on Aug. 31, after a dreadful season led to his release by the Boston Red Sox. The righty came to the Phillies with a 5.45 ERA in 112 1/3 innings but strung together a few strong outings, both as a starter and a reliever. Buehler appeared in three games (two starts) in September, allowing just one run in 13 2/3 innings.

Buehler's experience closing out the 2024 World Series for the Dodgers never came into play for the Phillies. Despite making the NLDS roster in the bullpen, Thomson never went to the veteran in the playoffs against his former team. Buehler will head to free agency, likely looking for another chance to start elsewhere.

Tim Mayza, LHP

Tim Mayza was also a late-season addition, grabbed off the scrap heap after being released by the Pittsburgh Pirates. With José Alvarado not available for the playoffs the Phillies were looking for another left-handed relief option.

Mayza couldn't provide the stability the Phillies were hoping for to supplement fellow lefties Matt Strahm and Tanner Banks. He appeared in eight games in September, allowing four earned runs in 7 1/3 innings, with a 4.91 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, seven strikeouts and four walks. Like Buehler, Mayza made the NLDS roster but didn't get in a game, and will head to free agency.

Jordan Romano, RHP

This one is a no-brainer. As good as Jordan Romano was as a two-time All-Star closer with the Toronto Blue Jays, his one season with the Phillies was a complete disaster. The Phillies have had some bad free agent signings, and this one is right up there. Romano appeared in 49 games, pitching to an obscene 8.23 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 42 2/3 innings.

The right-hander was supposed to be an option for Thomson late in games and in high-leverage spots and became even more important after Alvarado's PED suspension. Unfortunately, he struggled to find any sort of consistency. Romano finished the year on the injured list and certainly won't be an option for the front office to run back again next year.

Ranger Suárez, LHP

Ranger Suárez has, most likely, pitched his last game in a Phillies uniform. The popular left-hander will hit free agency and it would be entirely shocking if the Phillies re-signed him, as much as they would like to. They should have a full rotation in 2026, with Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola and hopefully top prospect Andrew Painter.

Despite getting a late start to his 2025 season and going through a couple of rough patches, Suárez finished his eighth and final major league season as a Phillie 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA. The 30-year-old posted a 53-37 record with a 3.38 ERA in 187 games (199 starts) since his 2018 debut.

Suárez has spent his entire career with the Phillies since signing in 2012, but after hiring super-agent Scott Boras last offseason, it looks like he'll try to cash in on the open market. He made one impressive appearance in the NLDS this year, holding the Los Angeles Dodgers to one run over five innings in Game 3, so if this was his swan song, then he went out on a high note.