October 20, 2026
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Jhoan Duran and Rafael Marchan are both arbitration eligible this offseason.
For the last few weeks we've been examining the Phillies' 2026 roster, looking at which players we think and recommend they bring back for 2027.
This last entry will have a lot guys in it — as we look at the younger and team-controlled hitters and pitchers who contributed last season.
We'll dive right into a group that includes Jhoan Duran, Tanner Banks, Rafael Marchán, Jonathan Bowlan, Justin Crawford, Andrew Painter and a few others:
MORE STAY OR GO: Bullpen arms | Alec Bohm | Luis Arráez | Brandon Marsh
Adolis Garcia | Bryson Stott | Edmundo Sosa | Dave Dombrowski | Don Mattingly
The big contracts
A note on how we decided who to include. With so many players in pre-arbitration and arbitration under the Phillies' umbrella, we skipped over some players (like Gabriel Rincones and Alan Rangel) who would likely start the year in the minors.
Jhoan Duran (arb): He's an All-Star, one of the best closers in baseball and in the final year of arbitration. In 61 regular season games in 2026, the 28-year-old had a 1.85 ERA and 33 saves. The Phillies have a lot on their plate this offseason, but the sooner they can extend Duran the better.
Jonathan Bowlan (pre): In his season-ending press conference, Dave Dombrowski made sure to mention that he liked Bowlan and McFarlane, and each is going to be in the bullpen again next season. Bowlan had a 3.36 ERA in 59 games and remains pre-arbitration — meaning he's as cheap as a veteran arm can get.
Alex McFarlane (pre): The 25-year-old was dazzling at times in his short rookie debut, with a 2.84 ERA in 19 appearances. He'll have every opportunity to be a part of the back of the bullpen in 2027.
Should the Phillies keep all three of these guys?
Tanner Banks (arb): The lefty had his worst year as a pro in 2026, with an ugly 6.19 ERA over 36.1 innings. He's eligible for his second of three years of arbitration. Will they non-tender him (decide not to offer him a contract and make him a free agent)?
Chase Shugart (pre): The journeyman pitcher was okay — he had a 4.02 ERA. He's the kind of guy the Phillies hope they can keep in the minors as a depth arm. He has minor league options remaining.
Max Lazar (pre): Lazar was very bad in 2026, allowing seven runs in 10 MLB innings. He, too, has minor league options on his current deal.
Orion Kerkering (arb): Once the team's young and reliable setup man, Kerkering imploded in September and the team had no choice but to demote him as he was unplayable. He's an interesting case for the Phillies. While they could keep him in Triple-A, and call on him if needed, he's a player who might benefit from a change of scenery (he's got a few bad memories as a Phillie, to be sure). Perhaps he'll be a player traded this offseason.
Kyle Backhus (pre): After the Phillies demoted the lefty, whose 4.95 ERA over 20 innings was a detriment, he figured it out in the minors. In 26.1 innings for Lehigh Valley, Backhus had a 2.73 ERA and solid strikeout rate. With minor league options, he'll be another potential depth piece should the Phillies address the bullpen in free agency.
Should any of these guys be in the big league rotation next year?
Justin Crawford, OF (pre): After a good, not great rookie season, Crawford is still just 22. He'll be given every opportunity to improve in a second season as he showed flashes with both his bat and his glove in 2026.
Andrew Painter, SP (pre): Painter was two different pitchers for the Phillies in 2026. A mid-season demotion in June seemed to set him straight:
| Before | After | |
| W-L | 1-8 | 2-2 |
| ERA | 7.06 | 3.65 |
| Avg Game score | 40 | 56 |
| FIP | 5.52 | 3.78 |
The Phillies will take more of that second guy. Painter even tossed seven innings of shutout, two-hit baseball on Sept. 2. He'll be the fifth starter and the Phillies hope he and Crawford both take sophomore season leaps.
Should the Phillies be looking to trade either of these youngsters to upgrade elsewhere?
Rafael Marchán, C (arb): He's the best of a slew of bad backup catcher options. The Phillies will probably bring him back with two seasons left of arbitration.
Derek Hill, OF (arb): As one of the the Phillies' best non-Bryce Harper outfielders last season, they are very likely to welcome him back with two seasons left of arbitration. The 31-year-old appeared in 67 games in Philly and hit .261 with seven homers and played very solid defense.
Bryan De La Cruz, OF (arb): De La Cruz played more than you'd want a mid-season flier signing to play on a contending team. He's still under team control so if he's tendered a contract, he'll compete for a roster spot in spring training. He does have a minor league option remaining.
Johan Rojas, OF (arb): Rojas has been a project for years, and he'll begin his arbitration years next season. The Phillies won't say no to having outfield depth, but Rojas will need to show he can stay healthy and hit the ball in spring training.
Garrett Stubbs, C (arb): The Phillies had three catchers on their postseason roster. That tells you a lot about the make up of their team last year. If Stubbs welcomes a demotion he'll remain in the organization, but the team can't be expecting to carry two extremely light-hitting back stops for 162 games next year.
Otto Kemp, UTIL, (pre): Kemp never panned out as a superutility man, but he's under team control and pre-arbitration still and will be in the minors next season, providing some depth should they need it.
Which of these bench and depth bats should return next season?
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