As Phillies players assemble in Clearwater to begin spring training this week, it's entirely possible that three key superstars are making their final stay on the west Florida coast.
Starting pitcher Ranger Suárez, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and catcher J.T. Realmuto are members of the core of a team that has been a mainstay in the postseason over the last three seasons. Will the Phillies' front office really allow these guys to play as "lame ducks," as each has an expiring contract at the end of this season?
Will the team ink any of them to contract extensions this spring to avoid free agency and an unknown future?
There is precedent for the team doing both. Zack Wheeler and Cris Sánchez each signed new deals while under contract last season. There is also precedent for the team to let the market play out, as they did with Aaron Nola, who hit free agency after playing as a lame duck and elected to remain in Philly.
The Phillies also could obviously choose to move on from any of these three guys.
Ranger Suárez, SP, 29 ($19m/yr projected value)
Suárez will be 30 years old next season and is playing in his final season of arbitration, slated to make $8 million. Last season, the fan-favorite lefty had a spectacular first half of the season (10-4, 2.76 ERA), getting a nod as an All-Star for the first time in 2024, but injuries and a big workload saw Suárez fall back to earth later in the summer (2-4, 5.65 ERA in the second half).
The most logical way for the Phillies' brass to play this one is to see which Suárez shows up this season and go from there. With trade acquisition Jesús Luzardo under team control next season as well, the only theoretical spot in the rotation slated to open up for top pitching prospect Andrew Painter is Suarez'. That could be the other variable in the Suárez extension — whether his potential replacement has a good season.
The range of outcomes is pretty large, and even if Suárez pitches well, he could be a casualty of the team's need to get younger. He could be on the trade rumor mill as well, due to his expiring deal and the talent he is blocking.
Kyle Schwarber, DH, 32
Schwarber has been an unconventional, but extremely successful leadoff hitter for the Phillies. Last year he set the record for leadoff homers in a season. In three years in Philly, he has 131 homers and 302 RBI. He's in the age range where he will probably continue to hit like an in his prime player, but a contract extension could keep Schwarber on the team as he starts to decline. Chances, are, the years of a deal would be more of a sticking point than money — he's making $20 million this season and he'll probably earn around that on the open market.
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But the Phillies know Schwarber wants to stay in red pinstripes, as he made clear last weekend at the WM Phoenix Open where he was playing golf in the Pro-Am event:
“I’ve enjoyed my time so much,” Schwarber told Sports Talk Philly. “I was with the Cubs for how many years, and then I signed the one-year deal with Boston. Being here, it feels like home now. I’d love to keep that going for as long as I can. Hopefully we can win multiple World Series in the years to come.”
Were Schwarber to leave in free agency, an open DH spot would give the Phillies a lot of flexibility to bring in a player who plays any position — with Nick Castellanos, Bryce Harper, or Alec Bohm as potential DHs long-term.
J.T. Realmuto, C, 33
Realmuto is the hardest to figure out. Their succession plan for him, should he leave the club, would likely see Rafael Marchán given a chance to earn the job — Garrett Stubbs projects to remain a backup if he sticks in Philly. Beyond Marchán, there aren't any big-league-ready players in the pipeline, as one of their top prospects, catcher Eduardo Tait, is still just a teenager.
Catchers usually start to decline at Realmuto's age and his offensive production is starting to slow down, as are his number of starts behind the plate. A short-term extension, say, two more years, could be on the table. But the team could also save his nearly $24 million and try to go younger at the spot too.
There could be a rich free-agent market for backstops next winter, with Salvador Perez, Mitch Garver, Vázquez, Danny Jansen and William Contreras potentially available. Realmuto is the best of that bunch, however, and it will be interesting to see how much the team chooses to invest in the catcher spot over the next few seasons. Extending him while under contract would potentially save the team some cash, as Realmuto probably has one more big contract left before he gets too old.
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