After making the postseason for the fifth consecutive year, the Philadelphia Phillies found themselves matched up with the Los Angeles Dodgers. They were no match for Shohei Ohtani and company as they lost the series 3-1, ending their season.
Now, it is back to the drawing board for the front office. They will be tasked with putting together a better product in hopes of winning the World Series next season.
However, that could be tough with the talent on their roster that is expected to become free agents this winter. The club is at risk of losing J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, and Ranger Suarez, which would be quite a hit.
Phillies encouraged to pass on elite right fielder in free agency
Looking to upgrade their outfield, the Phillies acquired Harrison Bader from the Minnesota Twins back in late July. He played in 50 games during the regular season with Philadelphia, hitting .305/.361/.463 with five home runs and 16 runs batted in.
Bader and the team have a mutual option for the 2026 season, but it is expected that he will opt out. If that is the case, Fansided's Jake Elman argues that Bader should be the priority over signing Kyle Tucker.
"By no means are we saying that Bader is a superior player to Tucker. However, Bader fits the Phillies' needs, and his return would also allow Philadelphia to re-sign NL home run leader Kyle Schwarber."
Elman comments that signing Bader could result in the club retaining Kyle Schwarber. That would be a much better option offensively, given the career year the slugger just had.
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