Phillies 2025-2026 Hot Stove Discussion

[Austinfan]

Luzardo will be extended, Matt is right that they'll do it when it starts in 2027.

Won't surprise me if Stott is extended, they have one more year of control, he'll be a 30 year old FA so I can't see him getting big money - but has value even if Miller emerges and Escobar is on the cusp. Depends if Sosa walks, but I think they'll want one back IF who can play 2B and SS and start if needed.

Duran is a RP, so they'll wait on him, can't trust those guys.

[julio]

The Phillies have a meeting set with Bo Bichette in the coming days and, as circumstances this offseason have changed, so has their interest level in the star infielder.

— Matt Gelb ( @mattgelb.bsky.social ) January 8, 2026 at 3:14 PM

[andyb]

Athletic article.

Phillies will meet with Bo Bichette as they weigh other roster changes: Sources

I guess this implies they could get Caratini for $6 million and then flip Bohm to offset some of the salary. Just not sure it makes long term sense to me since Bichette won't age well defensively.

[zambonir]

Hey, nothing wrong with exploring all options. Seems like he would still be trying to get a bidding war going though. And Phillies are putting pressure on JT.

[David_Criss]

What would it cost to trade for Jeffers? I am sure they have a date for moving on from JT and calling his bluff. They have to for the teams' sake.
Do we want Certani or Jeffers?

[andyb]

Jeffers is probably not good enough to get a top 100 prospect back but guessing it would be someone from the 5-10 range on our prospect list plus another lesser prospect.. A little bit more than we spent on Bader given that it is for the whole year and not just a 50-game rental. MN might need a catcher too so Marchan could be in a deal also.

[zambonir]

They might have a date but it doesn't necessarily start with "January."

The article says Caratini likely won't sign until JT does, so it becomes a bit chicken/egg. Ditto for the Twins' trade price. But they're also cheap as heck so return probably wouldn't be that high.

What I still took out of that Gelb article is the Phillies don't really want to to have their entire pitching program adjusting to a new catcher. And that Wheeler in particular prefers JT.

I don't think you can put Marchan in the deal when Jeffers has never started more than 88 games at C.

[andyb]

I don't think you can put Marchan in the deal when Jeffers has never started more than 88 games at C.

They still have Stubbs. Just figuring another team would want Marchan if they are rebuilding and don't have any other obvious catchers.

[andyb]

Sosa at $4.4 million ($500K above projections).

Luzardo was $600K over. Banks right at the projection.. Duran $100K under.

[RolenRules]

How is Grichuk an upgrade? He will be 34 next year and Baseball Reference had him at -0.8 WAR in only 293 plate appearances. Of course, DD seems to like his name brand over the hill vets, so it wouldn't surprise me if he is signed.

[David_Criss]

He isn't. I'd just keep Casty and tell him he is being paid $20 million and this is his job now. Do the best you can in hopes you get a contract next year and this isn't the end of the road. If he doesn't like it to bad. I have to do stuff I don't like in my job when the boss says so.

[RolenRules]

Phillies avoid arbitration with beloved infielder on $5.9 million contract | Sporting News https://share.google/eEUCTMU8JLmKYupH5
Bryson Stott being the "beloved" infielder in question.

If the Phils do sign Bichette, I'm wondering if Stott might be the odd man out. It's a cleaner move, with Bichette slotting right onto 2B, and Stott might fetch more in trade as he is cheaper and younger than Bohm.

Personally, I'm not confident that Bichette is enough of an upgrade over either Bohm or Stott to warrant anything near the 8 year $208 million contract predicted by MLBTR. He replies primarily on BA for his value, and some of the underlying metrics are not great.

[zambonir]

He's an upgrade because he's an OF, and neither Kemp nor Wilson really are. Now, if last year is the beginning of the end for him that would be a problem, but his career production against LHP means something, and even if he's just neutral defensively (quite possible) that's an upgrade.

He's definitely an upgrade over Casty, which wasn't even suggested. We're more likely to see Rojas as our platoon LF than Casty if it isn't Kemp or Wilson.

But hey if the Bichette thing really happens not gonna see any new OFs either.

ESPN already downgraded their Bichette prediction to 150/5. Still a lot. I agree he's got warts.

[zambonir]

The Phillies remain focused on bringing back J.T. Realmuto, according to multiple major league sources.

And it's just a video call.

Source: Phillies to meet with Bo Bichette; agree to deals with seven players

[DurhamBull]

I'd just keep Casty and tell him he is being paid $20 million and this is his job now. Do the best you can in hopes you get a contract next year and this isn't the end of the road. If he doesn't like it to bad. I have to do stuff I don't like in my job when the boss says so.

You do things you don't like because you want to keep your job. Castellanos doesn't sound too excited about keeping his job with the Phils. And he has two powerful assets that you probably don't have -- a very public role, and enough money that he can live in luxury even if he never works another day in his life. If he wants to sourpuss his way through the season, complain about the manager to the media, and set a clubhouse example of providing low quality effort, the Phils are better off without him on the team.

[BostonRoss]

I want neither Castellanos nor Grichuk on the Phillies in 2026. Starting the season with an OF of Marsh, Crawford, Garcia, Kemp, and Rojas is better than any combination with Grichuk or Castellanos (and cheaper than any with Grichuk). They might even get one of the lower tier free agents; there are still plenty of them out there. And the Phillies will certainly upgrade during the season if they need to.

[xogfog]

I wonder what you could get for Bohm and Stott packaged together? You get a guy on an expiring contract and a great fielding 2B who might flourish in a change of scenery. Bichette plays 2B and you let Sosa and Kemp hold the fort at 3B until Miller is ready.

[DurhamBull]

I wonder what you could get for Bohm and Stott packaged together? You get a guy on an expiring contract and a great fielding 2B who might flourish in a change of scenery. Bichette plays 2B and you let Sosa and Kemp hold the fort at 3B until Miller is ready.

I've thought about the Sosa/Kemp platoon before, and think it's a worthwhile risk if they can get good value for Bohm. I don't really want the Phils to sign Bichette, though. That feels like another albatross of a contract, and the Phils already have enough of them.

[phillychuck]

Sosa and Kemp isn’t a true platoon with both being righties. Although they could share the position.

[Jazzhead]

If we were to sign Bichette, why not let him continue to mostly play short and use Trea in the outfield ( which Turner played early in his Nats career)? I'd love to see, if only for one year, Bichette and Bohm in the same lineup. Killer Bs indeed.

I'd also like to avoid throwing Bichette out there full time at a position he's never played before. With Bohm still mostly at third in his walk year, Bichette can be eased into his eventual role as Bohm's replacement (and Trea returned to short). Would Trea be willing to accept the temporary position switch in order to go for it all next year with a lineup of RBI monsters?