The Philadelphia Phillies roster may look a little different come the 2025 season. With their early exit from the postseason, it’s time for them to evaluate who’s returning next year and who’s not.
Let’s look at a few players who the Phillies should move on from this offseason.
RHP Taijuan Walker
The Phillies had hands-down one of the best rotations in baseball in 2024. Its starting staff had a record of 65-43, a 3.81 ERA and 851 strikeouts, which was eighth best in the league. The only problem that they couldn’t solve was the fifth rotation spot. With top pitching prospect Andrew Painter ruled out for the season following 2023 Tommy John surgery, this opened the door for Taijuan Walker.
Walker signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Phillies in December 2022. Through 19 games in 2024, Walker finished with a record of 3-7, an ERA of 7.10, 66 earned runs and 58 strikeouts.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in a press conference Tuesday that Walker must earn his spot in the rotation next season.
In his first year with the Phillies in 2023, he started 31 games and finished with a record of 15-6 and an ERA of 4.38. It’s time to let Walker go and give Painter a chance.
3B Alec Bohm
This one may be controversial. Since joining the Phillies in 2020, Bohm has been one of the team’s biggest run producers. He recorded 97 RBI in back-to-back seasons in 2023 and 2024.
Why should the Phillies even consider letting Bohm walk? He is on a one-year, $4 million deal and is due for a new contract this offseason. He may ask for a significant salary raise, and it’s up to the organization to decide if he’s worth it.
Every player has an up-and-down season. Bohm managed to play 143 games even after suffering a hand injury late in the season. He hit .280, collected 15 home runs and scored 62 runs total. Defensively, Bohm made 15 errors in 2024. This is his second-highest number of errors since 2021, when he committed 16. Only Trea Turner had more with 17.
The postseason is where Bohm struggled quite a bit. In 2024, Bohm only collected one hit in 13 at-bats for a .077 batting average.
The Phillies should let Bohm walk because of his high number of errors and inability to come up big in the playoffs when the club needs him. If Philadelphia wants to win a World Series, they will need better situational hitting from its entire roster, including Bohm.
C Garrett Stubbs
The Phillies plan to get J.T. Realmuto off his feet a little more next season. Therefore, they’ll need a backup catcher for more games. Will Garrett Stubbs continue to be that guy?
Stubbs has proven that he has the arm to throw players out trying to steal bases and has the personality that every team wants. However, offensively, he may not be their guy going forward. In 2024, Stubbs played 56 games, hit seven home runs, collected 45 RBI and had a batting average of .207.
Stubbs shouldn’t be back in Philadelphia next season due to his poor offensive performance and lack of power at the plate. If the Phillies want to give Realmuto, entering his age-34 season in 2025, more time off, they’ll need to find someone who can fill his spot with a decent bat and strong arm.
Rafael Marchan could be an option. Albeit a small sample size, he hit .294 with three home runs and six RBI in 17 games in 2024. Additionally, Marchan is a switch-hitter, which the Phillies don’t currently have.