The Phillies are closing in on another postseason berth, and that makes the stretch run feel bigger than ever. But even with October on the horizon, the front office can’t afford to ignore what the roster is telling them about 2027. A few familiar names are making the wrong kind of case as the season winds down.
Catching is one of the clearest trouble spots. J.T.
Realmuto is 35 now and looks firmly in the over-the-hill phase, while the backup options have offered very little help. Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs have traded off as the club’s primary reserve at times, and both are still on the roster in September.
Marchán has been the rougher of the two, putting up a .302 OPS across 34 games. Stubbs has been only slightly better at .361 in the same number of contests.
Stubbs at least has some support from his role in Aaron Nola’s second half resurgence, but neither catcher has made a strong enough argument to be part of what comes next. With Realmuto aging and fading, the Phillies should be looking for a steadier part-time answer.
Orion Kerkering is in a very different kind of spot, but the result could be the same. The right-hander shot through the system in 2023 and, at his best, has shown elite stuff.
That hasn’t translated often enough down the stretch this season, where he’s been underwater more than not. The source of the concern goes beyond performance, too: he seems unable to handle pressure-packed spots.
The 2025 NLDS still stands as the clearest example, when he literally and figuratively threw away his team’s entire season. Kerkering still has enough talent to matter, and the Phillies shouldn’t just dump him for nothing, but if another team comes calling with a decent trade package, moving on could make sense for everyone involved.
The left-handed relief group has taken a hard turn from strength to problem area. Not long ago, the Phillies appeared loaded with southpaw options, with José Alvarado, Tanner Banks, Kyle Backhus and Tim Mayza all in the mix.
That depth has disappeared fast. Mayza has been the only one of the group to really hold up.
Backhus was quickly removed from the major league roster, Banks was sent to Triple-A before returning, and Alvarado has stuck around largely because the club hasn’t had many other choices.
Banks’ return to the majors hasn’t fixed much. His 7.26 ERA for the season is nearly three runs worse than any other year he’s had, and while he still has multiple years of team control left, there won’t be much reason to keep him around if he can’t straighten things out.
Alvarado’s situation is just as frustrating in a different way. Once a dominant late-inning arm, those days are clearly behind him.
Interim manager Don Mattingly keeps turning to him because the alternatives have thinned out, but the results have been shaky. In 63 appearances, the 31-year-old has a 5.20 ERA and 26 walks in 55 ⅓ innings.
Given last year’s letdown and the fact that he’s headed for free agency, it looks all but certain he won’t be back next year.
Brandon Marsh has also gone from obvious building block to possible trade piece. His first half was so strong that he earned an All-Star Game start, but the second half has been a crash.
Since the break, he’s hit just .179/.239/.241 over 53 games, with six extra-base hits and three stolen bases. Bryan De La Cruz has started taking some of his playing time, but that hasn’t stopped the slide.
The Phillies control Marsh for one more year after this one, and if he doesn’t show some life in the next few weeks, left field will be a glaring spot to upgrade. If the Phillies chase a free agent outfielder such as Seiya Suzuki or Randy Arozarena, Marsh could easily become part of the return that helps fill another need.
In Other News...
Phillies Suddenly Have A Big Jess Luzardo Decision Ahead
Jess Luzardos path back to the Phillies took another step forward this week, as the left-hander has been cleared to begin a throwing program after landing on the injured list with shoulder stiffness. The absence cost him starts and forced Philadelphia to manage its rotation without one of its more interesting arms, but the encouraging part is that his recovery is moving in the right direction and a return later in the season remains on the table.
What comes next may matter just as much as the comeback itself. The Phillies are weighing whether Luzardo should re-enter the mix as a starter or slide into a relief role when hes ready, a decision that could shape both the rotation and bullpen down the stretch. For a club trying to sort out every meaningful inning, the way they handle him could become one of the more quietly important calls of the second half. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Marsh Has Become A Huge Phillies Problem At Worst Time
Brandon Marshs season has taken a sharp turn in the second half, and the timing has made his slump a real issue for the Phillies. Before the All-Star break, he was giving them the kind of steady production that made his spot in the lineup feel secure, hitting .301 with an .829 OPS and looking like a dependable presence in the outfield.
Since then, the numbers have fallen off hard, with a .179 average and a .474 OPS over 56 games, and Philadelphias offensive problems have only grown around it. For a team trying to get its bats lined up for the stretch run, Marshs slide has become more than an individual rough patch - its one of the problems the Phillies have had to keep working around. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Suddenly Face A Big Jesus Luzardo Question
Jesus Luzardo has reached a meaningful checkpoint after the left shoulder inflammation that sent him to the injured list. He has been cleared to throw again, which at least gives the Phillies a path back to getting one of their most talented arms moving in the right direction after a frustrating pause.
The bigger question now is less about whether Luzardo will pitch again and more about how Philadelphia uses him when he does. Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported that his next stint could come in relief rather than as a starter, a wrinkle that could change how the Phillies map out their pitching plans in the days ahead. [Read more 🡒]