PHILADELPHIA — Dave Dombrowski’s messaging about prospects has been, in several respects, consistent over the years.

He’s a firm believer that players are rarely hurt by extra reps in the minor league. He also recognizes that prospects, especially those with first-round pedigree and blue-chip expectations, need to play consistently to learn life in the big leagues.

Those were backdrops on Thursday as Dombrowski fielded the expected questions about change after the Phillies won 96 games and the National League East for the second consecutive year but bowed out for the second time in four games in the NLDS, this time to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Change will have to come, Dombrowski knows. But unlike last year, one of the drivers of a roster refresh is internal, both in pending free agents and prospects who can no longer be denied.

By MLB’s rankings, the Phillies have three top-60 prospects. That is 2021 first-round pick Andrew Painter, 2022 first-rounder Justin Crawford and 2023 first-rounder Aidan Miller. It’s possible that all three are with the big club in 2026. But for that to happen, the above conditions must be met.

So, perhaps in a nod to the “July-ish” slip of the tongue with regards to Painter this year, Dombrowski went with the tack that, “I’m not going to declare that anybody has a job, but there will be some people that were really open-minded to be in with our big league club next year, coming out of spring training.”

An infusion of youth will be valuable. It could help the Phillies augment a roster with one big splash this winter instead of nibbling in the one-year deals it was limited to last year. And it could offer the push to get over the postseason hump.

Crawford, Dombrowski said last month, is big-league ready and would’ve been up this year if a clear pathway to regular at-bats existed. With Max Kepler and Harrison Bader pending free agents and Nick Castellanos increasingly marginalized as he heads into the final year of his contract, the Phillies have the winter to open up a job for Crawford.

Crawford has done his bit: He hit .334 in Triple A, with seven homers, 47 RBIs, 88 runs scored and 46 stolen bases in 112 games. He’s stolen at least 40 bags in each of his three full minor league seasons. His downward swing is never going to project to power at the major league level, but given the number of swing-and-miss artists in the lineup, someone with 58 walks against 91 strikeouts and a .411 on-base percentage may be the profile the team needs.

He’s at the “nothing left to prove” juncture at Triple A. After not finding commensurate value for him at the trade deadline, it’s now-or-never time in the bigs.

“I think he needs to go to camp and just do what he’s basically been doing,” Dombrowski said. “He’s led leagues in hitting, can steal bases, he’s a good energy guy, he’s a solid outfielder. So you just want somebody to come in and keep their head above water to show you. I don’t expect him to carry our club in the very beginning of the season, but you also don’t want to put him in there where you think that it would be a bit too much for him.”

Miller is further off. He’s still just 21, only reaching Triple A for an eight-game taste at the end of the season. He hit .249 with 13 homers, 41 RBIs and an .809 OPS in 108 games in Double A. It’s not exactly tearing it up, but not enough to change his rapid trajectory.

More intriguing, he stole 59 bases in 74 attempts, and he showed the ability to play competent shortstop. He’s probably a third baseman in the bigs, but the longer he shows the glove and athleticism to stick with the more premium position, the better for his long-term defensive prospects.

Third base is the current home of Alec Bohm, for whom 2026 is the last year of club control. Barring a sensational spring, Miller is unlikely to be ready on Opening Day. But if the right deal for Bohm materializes this winter, the Phillies can navigate a platoon until Miller is ready, especially if some combination of Bohm and Castellanos can land an impact right field bat.

The expectation is for the job to be Miller’s by Opening Day 2027. Dombrowski reiterated Thursday that, “if Miller’s coming up here, he’s going to be an everyday player here. We’re not going to bring him up and not play the majority of the time.”

That brings the topic of Painter, in his third winter of being ready to break through. The first was interrupted by Tommy John surgery early in 2023. The second last winter involved the Phillies wondering if they could save his bullets in Triple A for a possible September impact with the big club.

Turns out those bullets didn’t find their targets much in Lehigh Valley, where Painter went 5-6 with a 5.40 ERA in 22 starts. He came through 118 innings healthy, with velocity intact and lessons learned. But he contributed nothing save for internet clicks for the Phillies’ 2025 pennant chase.

“I think he’s going to be better second year out after the Tommy John,” Thomson said. “The command is going to get better. The quality of stuff is going to get a little bit better.”

The fifth starter’s spot is earmarked for Painter, even if Dombrowski wouldn’t say it. The team will start 2026 with Cristopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola, likely Jesus Luzardo and Taijuan Walker. Zack Wheeler could be healthy by some time in the early summer.

And, that’s if the Phillies get outbid on the services of free agent Ranger Suarez and if they manage an extension with Luzardo.

A flyer on a disposable one-year starting option might bolster the rotation early, with a chance that he and/or Walker will morph into the long man when the others are healthy.

Dombrowski is fond of waving away questions about championship windows. He believes they exist for individuals, not organizations. Part of sustaining contending credentials over multiple generations is the ability to develop talent internally.

This trio has the power to drive a new era of the Phillies’ quest for a championship. The time is theirs to prove worthy of that hype.

Originally Published: October 17, 2025 at 1:37 PM EDT