The Phillies may be done for the year, but the conversation around their pitching staff is just getting started.
Philadelphia wrapped up a season that included a fifth straight postseason berth and a run into the National League Wild Card Round against the Atlanta Braves. That’s a solid resume for plenty of clubs. For the Phillies, though, it still left the front office staring at an offseason with work to do.
The biggest holes remain familiar ones. Help in the bullpen and more production from the lineup sit near the top of the list, and those are two areas the Phillies have spent recent years trying to patch without fully solving.
Even with those issues hanging over the roster, the starting rotation gives them something to build around. Zack Wheeler, Christopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Andrew Painter are all set to be part of the group next season, giving Philadelphia a strong foundation on the mound.
Painter’s first taste of the majors came with plenty of attention, since the Phillies rolled out their former top prospect at the start of the season. The early returns were uneven. In fact, his beginning was rough enough that the club eventually sent him down for a reset.
That move changed everything.
When Painter returned, he looked like a different pitcher. The second-half version of the right-hander gave the Phillies exactly the kind of lift they had been hoping to see, and that turnaround earned him a spot on the postseason roster.
He then delivered one of the biggest moments of his young career by picking up the win for Philadelphia in Game 2. For a rookie to step into that kind of spot and perform with the season hanging in the balance says plenty about where his game is headed.
Painter won’t just be part of the Phillies’ plans next season. He’s positioned to be one of the names they lean on most as they try to push forward. He didn’t open his rookie year the way he wanted, but the finish was strong, and that matters heading into 2027.
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The attraction is easy to see: Happ has shown real offensive ability in past seasons and has supplied steady home run production along the way. The question for Philadelphia is whether the fit makes enough sense to overlook the swing-and-miss risk, since his high strikeout rate has long been one of the main concerns attached to his profile. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Offseason Just Got Bigger After Two Costly Deals Expire
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For a front office that has spent the last few winters trying to thread the needle between urgency and flexibility, this kind of opening matters. The money alone does not solve the problems, but it gives the Phillies more room to address needs across the roster and make the kind of additions that could keep them in the conversation next season. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Have A Bryce Harper Possibility To Watch
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Boston has already surfaced as a team to keep an eye on if Harper ever becomes available and is open to waiving his no-trade clause. It is still early and purely speculative, but the mere possibility gives the Red Sox a star-level scenario worth monitoring while the Phillies sort through what could be a busy winter. [Read more 🡒]