The Phillies have plenty on their plate this offseason, and the biggest decision is still sitting at the top of the list: who will manage the club next?
Alex Cora is not an option, since he is taking off the 2027 season. Don Mattingly, who served as the interim manager this year in place of Rob Thomson, could be in the mix. Once that job is settled, Philadelphia can turn to the roster work that still needs to be done.
There’s no shortage of questions there. Luis Arraez and Alec Bohm are both headed for free agency, and the pitching staff could use more depth.
The Phillies would also benefit from a jolt of youth, even if their farm system does not carry a strong reputation. Still, there are a few prospects who could matter in a big way by 2027.
Dante Nori fits the kind of profile the Phillies could use in the lineup. Arraez brought contact and pressure to opposing defenses, and Nori offers a similar bat-to-ball approach.
He also brings elite defense, something Philadelphia could use more of in the outfield, and his plus speed plays both in the field and on the bases. A hip injury ended his 2026 season early, but the tools are there for him to help next year.
Moises Chace is another name worth watching. He missed all of 2026 after Tommy John surgery in 2025, but he was activated from the 60-day injured list on Sept. 28 and is healthy heading into the offseason.
Acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in the Gregory Soto deal in 2024, Chace had been moving along well at Double-A Reading before the injury. There are still questions about whether he can stay in a starting role long term, but a move to the bullpen could let him help sooner.
That would follow a path similar to Alex McFarlane, who tore through Double-A Reading and became a trusted bullpen option for Mattingly.
Aidan Miller might have already been making noise in the majors if not for the back injury that slowed him in 2026. With uncertainty around Trea Turner and the rest of the infield, Philadelphia may have room for fresh faces.
Miller looks like a major part of the team’s future as long as he stays healthy, and he could wind up at shortstop or third base. His 2025 season gave the organization plenty of optimism, and health remains the only real obstacle.
Then there’s Gage Wood, the first-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. He moved quickly in 2026, turning heads from Single-A Clearwater to Double-A Reading without looking out of place against better competition.
Scouts believed his fastball was MLB-ready when he was drafted, and the Phillies seem committed to keeping him in the rotation, which helps explain why he did not debut in 2026. Even so, he has high-leverage bullpen experience and could be called on there if the team needs relief help in a pinch.
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Duran is expected to stay put, but Marsh and Stott are the kinds of controllable pieces that can draw interest if the Phillies decide payroll flexibility matters more than continuity. Moving either one would not just be about subtraction, either. It would be part of a broader attempt to reshape the roster and chase upgrades in other spots, a reminder that even a contender can be pushed toward tough choices when the same needs keep surfacing each offseason. [Read more 🡒]
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Any talk like this quickly runs into the practical realities that matter most, though. Harpers no-trade protection gives him control over where a discussion even goes, and the money attached to a move would be a major hurdle for any team trying to make it work. For now, the idea lives in the same category as so many winter rumors, a mock proposal more than a roadmap, but it still underscores how closely rival clubs are watching the Phillies core. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Could Be Headed For An Offseason Shakeup Off The Field
The Phillies may be staring at a front-office change before the offseason really gets moving. The Philadelphia Athletics are reportedly weighing Sam Fuld, Philadelphias president of business operations and a former general manager, for their top executive job, putting one of the organizations more visible off-field leaders in the middle of a potentially important hiring cycle.
A decision from the Athletics is expected soon, and the ripple effect could be felt in Philadelphia if Fuld gets the nod. His departure would leave a vacancy in the Phillies front office and add another layer of uncertainty to an organization that could soon be navigating more than just roster questions as it heads into the winter. [Read more 🡒]