After being eliminated from the Major League Baseball Playoffs in the National League Division Series for the second straight year, the Philadelphia Phillies enter this offseason at a crossroads.

The core of this team, that was setup before the 2022 season, has been given four years to try and win a World Series championship. But after reaching the Fall Classic three years ago, the Phillies have disappointed their fans for each season failing to make a return trip tot he World Series.

Now they will have to make some difficult roster decisions with players under contract and important free agents. The list of players who could leave this offseason includes:

*Kyle Schwarber
*JT Realmuto
*Ranger Suarez
*Harrison Bader
*Max Kepler
*Jose Alvarado

What Free Agents Should The Phillies Target This Offseason?

Anyone who knows anything about baseball understands that the 2025 Phillies are not a good enough team. The roster needs to be upgraded and re-tooled if Philadelphia is serious about making a deep postseason run in 2026.

So we have selected five players who are free agents this offseason that the Phillies need to consider adding to the roster to have the opportunity to advance beyond the NLDS next postseason:

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

1. Alex Bregman
The two-time World Series Champion is a Gold Glove winner and has a career .365 On-Base Percentage. Bregman can bring a new mentality and personality to the Phillies locker room that feels it has a leadership void the past couple of years.

Even though Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber have World Series Championships on their resumes, that experience has not translated into helping the Phillies win in the postseason. With Alec Bohm coming off the worst statistical year of his career and turning 30 next year, moving on from the 3rd overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft and replacing him with a veteran with a stacked resume could help change the dynamics for Philadelphia.

2. Raisel Iglesias
The Phillies’ bullpen has been unreliable for years with guys like Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, David Robertson, and others letting down the fans in the postseason. While adding a legitimate closer like Jhoan Duran was a great addition at the MLB Trade Deadline, Philadelphia’s other relief pitchers has been unreliable to bridge the inning froms the Starting Pitchers to the Closer.

Raisel Iglesias has a WHIP of under 1.00 and ERA under 3.00 in five of the last six seasons. I understand he is on the wrong side of 35 (turns 36 years old this upcoming January), but the Phillies need more reliable pitchers in their bullpen, and this is a relief pitcher was a stellar track record. The only question for me is he willing to take the role of not being the primary Closer to join Philadelphia’s bullpen.

3. Cody Bellinger
The 2019 National League MVP had a resurgent year playing for the New York Yankees last season. With at least 97 RBI and 26 Home Runs two of the last three seasons, Bellinger would be a major upgrade offensively from Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos.

The Phillies Outfield was one of the weak points of the batting lineup in 2025. If Philadelphia can find a team to trade Nick Castellanos and/or Brandon Marsh to, along with keeping Harrison Bader, your Outfield could be much better with Bellinger.  Imagine this lineup for the Phillies Outfield in 2026: Bader in Centerfield, Bellinger in Right Field, and Justin Crawford in Left Field – Sounds like an upgrade over Castellanos, Kepler, and Marsh, right?

4. Dylan Cease
When the Phillies lost Zack Wheeler late in the 2025 season, the team’s best starting pitchers entering the MLB Playoffs were all left-handers. Cristopher Sanchez, Jose Luzardo, and Ranger Suarez all pitched well in the postseason. But Philadelphia’s lack of confidence in their right-handed pitchers was a problem in the NLDS loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Dylan Cease had a down year overall, but he had 200-plus strikeouts for the fifth straight season. For some reason, he is good every other year, so if we project to 2026, he will pitch better next year. Even though the Phillies expect Andrew Painter to be part of the rotation next season, if Ranger Suarez leaves in Free Agency, Philadelphia will only have three starting rotation slots set with uncertainty about when Zack Wheeler will return. Cease could be a low-risk, high-reward type of Free Agent addition.

5. Tyler Rodgers
With Jose Alvarado suspended for half the season, the Phillies leaned heavily on Matt Strahm and Tanner Banks in 2025 while the workload for guys like Orion Kerkering, Jordan Romano, and David Robertson increased.  Strahm was a disappointment during the playoffs, while Banks is a reliable but not high-ceiling option out of the bullpen, and Kerkering has given Philadelphia mixed results, while Romano became unpitchable as the season progressed.

Even though he turns 35-year-old in December, Tyler Rogers has been one of the most reliable relief pitchers in baseball over the last five seasons. Philadelphia needs more depth in the bullpen, and Rogers could become the team’s new high-leverage bullpen pitcher.

One of the Phillies problems is their aging roster, so they have to make room for opportunities that allow top propsects like Aiden Miller, Justin Crawford, and Andrew Painters a clear path to the big leagues next season. That is why the Phillies are the only Philadelphia Sports team with only one player on the list of the best athletes 25 or younger playing in the city:

The Best Philly Athletes Age 25 or Younger

Philadelphia has some great young athletes right now, from All-Star Tyrese Maxey to two first-round draft picks on the Eagles Defensive Line (Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter). In honor of the Philly Sports Youth Movement, here is my ranking of the Top Ten Philadelphia Professional Athletes who are 25 years old or younger:

Gallery Credit: Josh Hennig/Townsquare Media