The Philadelphia Phillies’ championship window appears closed after another soul-crushing postseason exit. Just as was the case in their 2024 NLDS defeat, the Phillies lost the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1. The bats went cold for the fourth consecutive October. Questionable managerial decisions were made. Star players failed to do their jobs. This is largely the same movie as the 2023 NLCS and 2024 NLDS, albeit with slightly different endings in terms of specifics. In each season during this stretch, the Phillies’ regular-season record improved. But in the postseason, they went backwards each time. They have 281 regular-season wins since the start of the 2023 season, but zero World Series titles to show for it. The party is over, and the reality and finality of it all has set in.
The Phillies’ Championship Window is Now Closed
In hindsight, having a 2-1 series lead against the Houston Astros dynasty in the 2022 World Series was the closest this group got to a championship ring. After a dominant Game 3 victory, the Phillies were no-hit in Game 4 the following night. The team never recovered from that and lost the series. Those Phils were a team with nothing to lose that had a makeshift bullpen and a star player who had to exclusively DH because of an injury. As a result, they had one of the worst active defensive outfielders in baseball starting in left field for the entire postseason run. The team with an interim manager and a collection of young players who called themselves the Phillies daycare. This core became a shell of their former selves in the following three postseasons.
Time for a Managerial Change
The first offseason move should be to fire manager Rob Thomson and most of the coaching staff. Thomson is a great regular-season manager, but has been a key contributor to the postseason failures. In Phillies history, no manager has a better regular-season win percentage than Thomson among those who managed at least 250 games. He is tied with Dallas Green for the best average division finish among Phillies skippers. Green won a World Series, though, while Thomson has not. The Phillies clubhouse needs new leadership and energy. Jimmy Rollins would be a perfect fit for the role. Rollins is a former player, which is the trend these days, and a Phillies legend who understands the city of Philadelphia.
“I’m not even thinking about that (my job) right now. I’ve got 60 people in there that are brokenhearted right now. I’m thinking about that a lot more than my job right now”
– Rob Thomson after tonight’s heartbreaker pic.twitter.com/45lWbLVBlw
— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) October 10, 2025
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Pending Free Agents and Option Decisions
Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, and Ranger Suárez are the Phillies’ most notable free agents. Harrison Bader, who has a mutual option, made an outstanding impression after coming over at the trade deadline. Ideally, the Phillies should keep these four players. Realmuto plays a position where there is limited depth. With Zack Wheeler missing the first part of the 2026 season, keeping Suárez is more important now. The Phillies should decline the club option for José Alvarado. Alvarado let the team down by getting suspended. Jordan Romano and Max Kepler should not be re-signed. Furthermore, all of the other pending free agents the Phillies should let walk without question.
Complete Roster Shakeup
With the Phillies’ championship window closed, it needs to lead to a roster shakeup. Kyle Tucker needs to be in a Phillies uniform next season. After bowing out of the Juan Soto sweepstakes last offseason, the Phillies need to open the pocketbook. Additionally, Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos should be traded this offseason. Castellanos was rumored to be a trade candidate at the deadline. Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh should probably get moved as well. Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Jhoan Duran, Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler, and Jesús Luzardo should be the lone untouchable players. Everyone else under contract or team control should be available in trade talks. If that requires eating money to facilitate a deal, so be it.
What the Future May Look Like
Justin Crawford will probably be a starting outfielder on the 2026 Phillies. Crawford could have been promoted this season, but did not get the call. With Bader, Marsh, and Castellanos all potentially leaving this offseaso,n it would not be a surprise at all. Aidan Miller is probably not ready yet to be on the Opening Day roster next year. What happens with Andrew Painter next season is a question mark. He still has potential but might need some more time to develop in the minor leagues. This Phillies lineup and pitching staff, to some extent, need to look different in 2026. Additionally, the coaching staff needs an overhaul and maybe even the front office. The window is over. It is time to move on to the next chapter and era of Phillies baseball.
Main Photo Credit: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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