There's no doubt that plenty of Philadelphia Phillies fans aren't impressed with the team's offseason. With spring training less than a week away, the roster seems set, barring a last-minute free agent deal falling in their lap at a value too good to turn down.
With a booming payroll over the $301 million top tax threshold, the Phillies have been handcuffed this winter. But as The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal pointed out, next winter should look much different (subscription required). It has to.
Rosenthal, a well-known MLB insider, suggests that with the Phillies gaining some financial flexibility after the 2025 season — with almost $75 million coming off the books — they need to move to bring in more talent to extend the contending window they flung open in 2022.
Ken Rosenthal identifies Kyle Tucker as perfect Phillies target to extend window next offseason
That talent, he identifies, is outfielder Kyle Tucker, who landed with the Chicago Cubs this offseason in a trade from the Houston Astros. Tucker, who will be a free agent at 29 years old, is a three-time All-Star, a Gold Glover in right field and a key cog of the Astros team that took out the Phillies in the 2022 World Series. Since becoming a full-time player in 2020, Tucker has hit .279 with an .883 OPS and is a 30 home run-30 steal threat every season.
It's not like the Phillies haven't already been interested in Tucker. They reportedly made a trade offer to the Astros before he was sent to the Cubs.
Rosenthal joined the Foul Territory podcast on Tuesday and weighed in on the Phillies' next offseason.
"Their team is getting older, their whole core is getting older, they're in their 30s to mid-30s," Rosenthal said. "And they're going to need an infusion of talent in addition to what they already have, which is really good. So that's why Kyle Tucker could be someone that makes sense for them."
The close to $75 million coming off the Phillies' payroll following the season isn't as much as it sounds. With designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and catcher J.T. Realmuto becoming free agents after the season, it would be shocking if president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski let both veterans walk. There's a case to be made that he needs to re-sign both players if the Phillies are unable to extend them before the end of the season.
Rosenthal also points out another interesting tidbit that makes it easier to believe the Phillies won't have a problem spending money for the 2026 season. It's the final year of the current collective bargaining agreement.
"In the worst-case scenario, an owners’ lockout could wipe out part or all of the 2027 season," Rosenthal writes. "In a more optimistic scenario, a new CBA would include luxury tax rules that are less cumbersome."
Whatever the 2027 season looks like, adding a player like Tucker on a multi-year deal in 2026 would go a long way to keeping the aging lineup relevant at the top of the National League.