The Phillies entered the offseason preaching continuity, quietly signaling that last year’s playoff exit did not justify dramatic organizational change.
Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Payroll limitations and internal priorities made stability feel inevitable, even if frustration lingered among fans hoping for a bolder response.
Dave Dombrowski’s end-of-season comments reinforced that message, suggesting the core deserved another chance rather than immediate dismantling.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic later put that approach into perspective with a blunt offseason grade.
Philadelphia received a C-plus, a mark that felt less surprising than confirming for a fan base already uneasy.
The Phillies successfully re-signed Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto, moves largely expected and factored into preseason assumptions.
Ranger Suárez’s departure to Boston, however, removed a key rotation piece without a clear replacement arriving.
Missing out on Bo Bichette stung most, exposing how payroll structure and contract philosophy limited Philadelphia’s flexibility.
Opt-out resistance and short-term spending reluctance worked against them in a market demanding creativity.
Outfield concerns remained unresolved, an issue lingering for multiple seasons without a decisive solution.
The addition of Adolis GarcÃa on a one-year deal felt more like a stopgap than a statement.
Hope now rests on prospect Justin Crawford seizing a starting role immediately.
Bowden raised an uncomfortable question: has Philadelphia kept its core together too long?
Since their 2022 World Series run, expectations have grown while results have stalled.
Age and mileage across the roster amplify doubts about whether familiarity has become stagnation.
The rotation presents additional uncertainty, beginning with Zack Wheeler’s health and recovery timeline.
Wheeler’s season-ending condition casts doubt on both availability and effectiveness entering 2026.
Andrew Painter’s uneven return from Tommy John surgery adds further instability.
Aaron Nola’s bounce-back remains another unresolved variable after an uncharacteristic down season.
Together, these questions shaped Bowden’s prediction of a third-place NL East finish.
The grade reflects caution, not collapse.
But for the first time in years, continuity feels less reassuring than it once did.
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