SAN ANTONIO — As Dave Dombrowski and his lieutenants have taken meetings with other clubs and player agents this week at the general managers’ meetings, they continue to repeat a mantra that he’s used to define this Phillies offseason.
“I think,” Dombrowski said Wednesday, “we’re (more) open-minded than we have been in other years.”
What does being open-minded mean? Dombrowski has resisted revealing many details; the Phillies have signaled they intend to acquire an outfielder (probably a left fielder) and at least one right-handed reliever. They have money to spend. They are certain to eclipse the third luxury-tax threshold of $281 million. The question is whether they go into the fourth tier, which triggers even deeper penalties at $301 million.
An “open-minded” offseason implies something more complex than spending money on a few free agents.
This week, Dombrowski said he’s received more calls than usual about players on the Phillies’ roster. This does not surprise him. He had broadcast his desire to be creative with how he would upgrade the team. Some players, typically those on longer-term, bigger-money deals, are less moveable than others. Dombrowski, the club’s president of baseball operations, has said it sometimes takes trading good players to acquire good players. It is not atypical for a team to float names at the beginning of an offseason to see what interest they draw.
That makes players like Alec Bohm, Ranger Suárez and Brandon Marsh targets. The Phillies value all three players. They would have to backfill if they dealt one of them. But maybe being “open-minded” requires the Phillies to trade an emerging hitter for a reliever, then use free agency to obtain a bat. Or vice versa.
The 2025 calculus has to include 2026 and beyond. Suárez, who will be a free agent after the 2025 season, is not guaranteed to factor into the longer-term plan. Andrew Painter should join the rotation sometime in 2025, then factor in a larger role come 2026. Bohm is a free agent after 2026; the Phillies believe Aidan Miller, 20, is a future force on the left side of the infield. In Marsh’s case, the Phillies might not want to block Justin Crawford’s path toward center field in 2026.
If the Phillies see a way to flip one of the three major leaguers for a better fit now and later, that would constitute being “open-minded.” They could also use Miller or Crawford in a prospect package to acquire a bigger piece.
“We’ve got a good priority list,” Dombrowski said. “We know who interests us with other clubs. We’re really in a good spot to move forward. Now the thing that you never know is how aggressive other clubs want to be. … That’s why a lot of times the bigger stuff happens towards the Winter Meetings because you’re still collecting so much information.”
The Soto situation
Phillies officials have been careful not to tip their hand regarding the biggest prize — Juan Soto — but they have downplayed the idea. Maybe that’s a tactical decision. The Phillies know they’d be a stalking horse for both New York teams, just as they were last winter when the Los Angeles Dodgers were heavy favorites to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They were happy to bid on Yamamoto.
Would they go big-game hunting again this winter?
“Our ownership allows us to do a lot of things,” Dombrowski said. “But sometimes that’s not what you want. We have a lot of good star players on our team. So, read that as you would.”
The Phillies know Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, would like them to be involved in the bidding. Maybe the Phillies don’t mind putting some pressure on the Mets or Yankees. Maybe it never reaches that stage.
They will monitor the Soto market. But they might be compelled to pursue other solutions before Soto signs.
Reconstructing the bullpen
The Phillies have not closed the door on a reunion with either Jeff Hoffman or Carlos Estévez, although both righty relievers could find better offers elsewhere. A major-league source confirmed an ESPN.com report that a few clubs have considered pursuing Hoffman as a starter. While he has thrived in a bullpen role — and might prefer it — keeping the door open on a potential shift back to a rotation could help Hoffman make more money this winter.
Hoffman shares the same agency as Reynaldo López, who signed last offseason with the Atlanta Braves to be a starter again after years of relieving.
The Phillies are returning a bullpen core that includes Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm and José Alvarado. They expect Tanner Banks to be a reliable lefty in the middle innings. They will tender a contract to José Ruiz, who is eligible for salary arbitration and should make close to $2 million.
Do they need two new relievers this winter to have five trusted high-leverage arms?
“One more for sure,” Dombrowski said. “I don’t think we’d have to have five. We like Banks. We think he can step up and pitch some more innings for us. And sometimes those answers come internally too. We have some arms that we like.”
Tracking Painter
Painter threw three more scoreless innings in the Arizona Fall League this week. He’s logged 13 innings there and could have two more starts before the showcase league concludes. Rival evaluators who have seen Painter live have been impressed with his fastball command so soon after returning to game action.
The Phillies consider the 21-year-old prospect healthy — as does Boras, who is Painter’s agent.
“Andrew’s been throwing in the high 90s,” Boras said. “He’s looked great. His rehab, I think, is complete. We’re pretty excited about the ’25 season.”
So are the Phillies. They have yet to determine how they will manage his innings in 2025.
This and that
• All three pitchers the Phillies added to the 40-man roster this week (Devin Sweet, John McMillon and Alan Rangel) have minor-league options. McMillon suffered an elbow injury near the end of the 2024 season with the Miami Marlins; the Phillies reviewed his medicals before submitting a waiver claim.
“We took a gamble in the sense that we do like his abilities,” Dombrowski said, “but I can’t tell you that for sure (whether he’ll be healthy).”
Rangel is rotation depth. Sweet and McMillon are relievers.
• The Phillies retained a minor-league option on outfielder Cal Stevenson and righty Tyler Gilbert, both of whom remain on the 40-man roster. Gilbert could come to spring training as a starter. The fringe players on the 40-man who are out of options for 2025 include righty Tyler Phillips, catcher Rafael Marchán, and infielders Kody Clemens and Buddy Kennedy.
• Wen-Hui Pan, a hard-throwing bullpen prospect, will undergo Tommy John surgery this month. Pan, 22, was slated to pitch in the Arizona Fall League but never made it there. The righty complained of elbow soreness near the end of the minor-league season. He will miss all of 2025.
(Top photo of Ranger Suárez: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
