December 07, 2023
Kate Frese/For PhillyVoice
Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper against the Braves on September 13, 2023 at Citizens Bank Park.
Depending on what you believe — Dave Dombrowski's cautious words or his aggressive history — the Phillies' roster is either mostly set or just in wait-and-see mode.
The team could still use a free agent outfield bat, utility infielder, end of the bullpen reliever and depth starter. And there are a ton of every one of those kinds of players still available after the Winter Meetings broke earlier this week.
It's never too early to think about baseball, and with just over two months left until pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater, here's how we see the 26-man roster breaking down for the 2024 Phillies (we can't stress enough, this is version 1.0):
J.T. Realmuto, Garrett Stubbs
No surprises here, as the best catcher in baseball will return after a solid 2023 campaign and be backed up by Stubbs, who was a solid all-around backstop in limited opportunities last season (a solid partier in the locker room too).
Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, Edmundo Sosa, Kiké Hernández (free agent)
With Bryce Harper at first for the long haul, Rhys Hoskins will be playing somewhere else in 2024. It stands to reason that in addition to their starting four — Harper, Stott, Turner and Bohm — the Phillies might bring in some new blood for the bench. Edmundo Sosa is a lock, but the rest of the team's bench-worthy pieces right now are outfielders. Hernandez, 32, is an affordable free agent who can play everywhere on defense, provide a little pop at the plate, and has appeared in an impressive 17 postseason series, hitting .274.
Some in-house candidates should the team not sign anyone include Scott Kingery, who remains in the organization on a one-year team-controlled deal, Darick Hall and Kody Clemens, both of whom can only really play first base defensively, Rodolfo Castro, who is a true utility man, and Weston Wilson, who can play a few positions. The Phillies will likely bring in someone to compete with these borderline major leaguers.
Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, Christian Pache, Jake Cave
Barring some kind of splashy move, it looks like the outfield could be reliant on Pache or Cave to start the year in left. It was made clear that Rojas' spot was not guaranteed and that he might need to start the season in Triple-A to find a groove with the bat. Rojas has a minor league option, while Pache and Cave do not, so this might be the outfield to start the year. Stick a pin in this one, because there is a chance it gets shaken up as free agency progresses.
We are projecting a four-man outfield for 2024 just because of the makeup of the rest of the team. Harper could theoretically play in right field, as could Kyle Schwarber. It would probably be a detriment for the team not to have two players on the bench who can man outfield spots.
For what it's worth, Símon Muzziotti is nearing 25 and had a fantastic year in the minors last season. He could get a long look for an MLB role if the team doesn't bring in free agent competition.
Kyle Schwarber
This one is self-explanatory. Schwarber will be the DH every day save for a few off-day shuffles of the starting lineup.
Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, Ranger Suárez*, Cristopher Sánchez*
As of right now, this quintet remains unchanged from last season. Wheeler is entering a contract year and has Cy Young stuff every season. Nola will be here for the long haul after signing a monster extension. Walker is under contract until 2027, and Suárez and Sánchez remain under team control after solid 2023 campaigns.
The Phillies will no doubt bring in some depth and potentially some competition for Sánchez and that final starting slot in free agency. Some in-house options to usurp him include Mick Abel and Griff McGarry. Dylan Covey should get a chance to start in spring training too. Top prospect Andrew Painter is working his way back from Tommy John surgery and won't return until 2025.
Josh Hader* (free agent), Seranthony Domínguez, José Alvarado*, Matt Strahm*, Gregory Soto*, Jeff Hoffman, Orion Kerkering, Dylan Covey
There aren't a lot of question marks for a bullpen that was good last year and will mostly return for 2024 intact. We're going to assume the Phillies can't resist taking a big swing this offseason and become late pursuers of Hader, one of the best closers in baseball. He'd make the bullpen even more left-handed, but he's too dominant not to be considered for the role. It's also perhaps the biggest current roster need.
Domínguez, Alvarado, Strahm, Soto and Hoffman are all but locks for the pen next spring. Kerkering appears to have a shot at staying in the big leagues even after he was iffy in the postseason. The team wants youth on the roster. Covey is out of minor league options and figures to be the long man — if he can beat out Andrew Bellatti for the final role, another Phillies reliever without options.
There are a lot of players who will be fighting for a surprise spot in the bullpen, like Nick Nelson, McKinley Moore, Connor Brogdon and Yunior Marte. The team will also likely bring in competition from the outside as well.
*Denotes lefty
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