January 20, 2026
Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images
Dave Dombrowski, Rob Thomson, and the 2026 Phillies are heading toward bringing more of the same.
Phillies president Dave Dombrowski sounded like he was set to run it back again for 2026, maybe not by choice, but given the circumstances.
The club lost out on Bo Bichette, and quickly after, re-upped veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto for another three years to keep the Phillies' core identical to what it's been since 2023.
Dombrowski, speaking with the media over a Zoom call on Tuesday, said he thought the Phillies were moving in toward a deal for the star free-agent infielder, but then the Mets swooped in with a shorter, annually higher-paying, and opt-out laden contract to get him signed instead.
It was "a gut punch," Dombrowski explained, but one that he said they're moving on from to make do with what they have.
"I think we're content with where we are at this point," Dombrowski said.
That includes pursuits of any remaining notable free agents like outfielder Cody Bellinger or left-handed starter Framber Valdez, whose names have circled around in recent days, though without entirely closing the door on the idea.
Still, it's way more probable now that the Phillies will report to spring training in a few weeks bringing more of the same than not; a roster that, while still likely to be competitive, is mostly getting up there in age and has taken a step down the postseason ladder with each passing October.
They re-signed Kyle Schwarber, because it would've been tough to lose one of the best bats in baseball. They brought in Adolis García on a bet that he can bounce back, or at the least, serve as Nick Castellanos' replacement in right field. Then they re-signed Realmuto after whiffing on Bichette, because catcher would've taken a major positional hit otherwise, without the appeal of having landed another big-name free agent to compensate for it.
The Phillies are also hoping to inject a bit of youth into their lineup through setting up prospect Justin Crawford to take one of the everyday outfield spots this spring, but he's an unknown in that regard, and does have to come in and take it.
"We have a good club, I like our club," Dombrowski said. "I think you always have to be open-minded in the wintertime to try to get better."
"That's what we try to do all the time, and again, they don't always become this public," Dombrowski continued, in reference to the Bichetter negotiations falling through. "We do that, but still, when you look at where we are at this point, I feel great about our club going into spring training. I think we have a very good chance."
The thing is, the Phillies have had plenty of good chances before, and this roster, which hasn't changed much over the past several years, has let them all fall by the wayside.
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