5 players entering their final days with the Phillies
Like all teams, the Phillies will have some turnover this offseason as they reload for another run.
Over the course of the 2024 MLB season, there have been many players that have contributed to the ongoing success of the Philadelphia Phillies. Together, they have transformed the team into an unstoppable force in the league, as they sit atop of the MLB standings with just a couple of weeks to go.
However, as much as the Phillies want to keep their current core intact for several more runs, there is bound to be some turnover heading into the offseason as the club strives to be even better. As a result, without looking too far ahead, which current Phillies players could be entering their final days with the club?
Here, we will take a look at five players who could be on their way out following the conclusion of the 2024 season.
5 players entering their final days with the Phillies
Garrett Stubbs
Garrett Stubbs has been the heart and soul of the Phillies’ backup catcher position for the past three years. With J.T. Realmuto firmly entrenched as the starter, Stubbs has done a respectable job in his limited playing time. He may not be putting up huge offensive numbers, with his career .222 batting average and .631 OPS, along with seven home runs, 38 RBI and nine stolen bases over 138 games. But Stubbs has provided the Phillies with some solid play-calling and defense behind the plate.
However, Realmuto is beginning to creep up there in age and will turn 34 prior to the start of the 2025 season. Added to the fact that he has also missed a significant number of games this season dealing with injuries, it is becoming more evident that the Phillies will need a more offensively productive backup catcher who can start more than the 30+ games that Stubbs has been covering for Philadelphia in recent years.
With that, Rafael Marchán has entered the picture. During his brief stint with the club when Realmuto was on the IL, Marchán showed a lot more promise when it came to offensive production by hitting .294 with an OPS close to .900, along with eight runs scored, four doubles, three home runs and six RBI in just 17 games. As a result, with the potential heir to the backup catcher position for 2025, Stubbs' days with the Phillies could be numbered.
Spencer Turnbull
Spencer Turnbull was signed by the Phillies this past offseason to a one-year contract to help provide valuable pitching depth for the organization. As it turned out, the Phillies actually had to use that pitching depth right away when Taijuan Walker began the year on the IL due to a shoulder impingement. As a result, Turnbull made the Opening Day roster as part of the starting five.
As the de-facto fifth starter in the rotation, Turnbull was terrific, going 2-0 with a stellar 1.67 ERA and 0.84 WHIP, with 10 walks and 36 strikeouts in just 32 1/3 innings pitched over six starts. Despite the small sample size, he appeared to be the perfect solution to the Phillies’ back end of the rotation spot.
However, upon Walker’s reinstatement from the IL, Turnbull was relegated to the bullpen, where he struggled in the new role as the long man. Over 10 appearances, he compiled a 4.26 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and .257 opponents batting average, giving up nine earned runs in 19 innings of work. When it appeared that he would get another shot in the rotation after Walker hit the IL again at the end of June, Turnbull made one start before rekindling the injury issues that had plagued him in much of his recent past.
Unfortunately, the right lat strain that he sustained in his start against the Detroit Tigers on June 26 eventually turned out to be a possible season-ending injury for Turnbull. For someone who has now suffered major injuries in three of his past four MLB seasons, despite his brief glimpse of brilliance in the starter’s role, the Phillies will likely move on from him this offseason in search of more reliable long-term options.
Yunior Marte
For Yunior Marte, it has certainly been a recurring story of wasted potential for the 29-year-old reliever. After being a solid reliever with a dominant strikeout ability coming up in the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants minor league systems, Marte struggled to a 5.44 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in his debut season with the Giants in 2022.
Nevertheless, the Phillies saw untapped potential in the flamethrower that they were looking to unearth when they acquired Marte from the Giants during the 2022-23 offseason. However, he was never able to secure a permanent spot in the Phillies’ bullpen in each of the past two seasons due to his erratic pitching performance.
It just felt like he could never go more than two or three outings without giving up a run. In the end, Marte posted a gaudy 5.79 ERA and 1.73 WHIP, giving up a whopping 42 earned runs including 11 home runs, with 32 walks and 61 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings of work over 63 total appearances.
With Marte out of options heading into 2025, along with the rise of Orion Kerkering, deadline acquisition Tanner Banks and even an under-the-radar arm in José Ruiz this season, Marte has likely pitched himself out of a role for the upcoming year. Added to the fact that he is now likely gone for the rest of this season with a shoulder injury, we may have seen the last of him in a Phillies uniform.
Taijuan Walker
Heading into the 2024 season, Taijuan Walker was looking to make a statement with his game after the Phillies denied him of a start during their 2023 postseason run. However, not only has he failed to make that statement, his season has actually turned into a complete disaster filled with injuries and ineffectiveness.
Even when he was healthy, Walker struggled to get into any groove as opposing hitters teed off of him. In 14 starts, he accumulated a dismal 6.50 ERA, .310 opponents batting average and 1.64 WHIP, giving up 51 earned runs, including 18 home runs, with 29 walks and 53 strikeouts in 70 2/3 innings pitched. As a result, Walker has been subsequently relegated to the bullpen for the final month of the season to get his game back on track.
His three relief appearances to date have been a little better as he has posted a 4.50 ERA while giving up four earned runs on 10 hits with two walks and two strikeouts in eight innings of work. But it's still a far cry from the reliable form that he exhibited with the club last season. Nevertheless, the Phillies are aiming to work with him this upcoming offseason to resurrect his game, with hopes that he can fit into some effective role with the team in 2025, whether it be as a starter again or as a reliever.
However, if they are unable to fix whatever problem is ailing Walker and he remains a huge liability, then the Phillies could be facing a tough decision ahead on whether he still deserves a spot on their big league roster.
Carlos Estévez
It might be surprising to some to see stud closer Carlos Estévez here. After all, Estévez was the Phillies’ biggest trade deadline acquisition this year and has delivered for the most part so far with the club. After struggling a little at the beginning of his tenure with Philadelphia, he has settled in nicely by posting a strong 3-1 record with six saves, a tidy 1.93 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, giving up just four earned runs with four walks and 16 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings pitched over 17 appearances.
So why wouldn’t the Phillies want to make him a long-term keeper? Actually, the more successful Estévez becomes with Philadelphia, especially if he comes up big for them in the playoffs, the more likely it is that he will not be returning to the club beyond this season.
At 31 years old and entering free agency this offseason, Estévez will likely be one of the most coveted elite closers in the market. That is because the majority of the other notable closers are all 34 years of age or older, with some showing signs of regression in their numbers in recent years (such as Kenley Jansen and Paul Sewald). On top of that, Estévez will want to pursue a large, long-term contract for job security heading into the latter part of his career.
In addition, the Phillies’ own Jeff Hoffman also happens to be entering free agency this offseason. As a result, Philadelphia will likely be able to afford just one but not both relievers beyond 2024. Of note is the fact that Hoffman has been just as good, if not even better than Estévez this season, registering 10 saves and posting a dominant 1.76 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 81 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings.
With the fierce competition for Estévez likely to drive his price way high, the Phillies should focus on securing Hoffman instead, who has proven to be more successful in the multiple roles given to him as a reliever in addition to being the closer.
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