10 moves Philadelphia Phillies should make this winter, including signing Juan Soto and Max Scherzer

You never want to see someone lose their job, but it’s time for the Phillies to move on from Kevin Long as hitting coach. Since Game 6 of the 2023 NLCS, the offense has not showed up. The entire lineup continues to chase way too many pitches out of the strike zone. Bryson Stott regressed this season, Brandon Marsh never improved against left-handed hitters, and Alec Bohm fell off a cliff in the playoffs. They need a different approach at the plate, and since many of the same players will still be on the roster for 2025, it starts by replacing Long.

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In 2023, Bryson Stott hit .280, with 32 doubles, 164 hits, and a .747 OPS. Many expected him to improve upon that and potentially have an All-Star-caliber season. That never happened, though. Stott only hit. 245 with a .671 OPS this past year.

Stott also had a steep drop-off against left-handed pitching. During the 2023 season, Stott hit .282 and a .730 OPS against southpaws. However, in 2024, he only hit .223 with a .595 OPS. It got so bad that manager Rob Thomson ended up sitting Stott against lefties, including against the New York Mets in the NLDS.

For the Phillies to succeed in 2025, they need Stott to return to his 2023 form at the plate.

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Brandon Marsh is what he is at this point. He is a good platoon player who can’t hit lefties. It’s not what the Phillies expected after trading catcher Logan O’Hoppe to the Los Angeles Angels for Marsh in 2022. They were hoping to find their center fielder of the future in Marsh, but that never materialized. The Phillies moved Marsh to left field as Johan Rojas was an upgrade defensively in center.

This past year, Marsh hit just .192 with a .552 OPS against left-handers. It was a big downfall from his production against lefties in 2023 with a .229 average and .717 OPS.

Marsh’s bat plays better in center than in left. He had 16 home runs on the season with a .249 average and .747 OPS. Marsh is under team control through 2027, so a team definitely would trade for him. The question is, though, what could the Phillies get for Marsh and would it be an outfield replacement? That’s what the front office will have to figure out.

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For those hoping the Phillies will trade Alec Bohm in the offseason, it’s not happening. It was quite a fall from grace for Bohm after he made his first All-Star team this season. Bohm was one of the Phillies’ best hitters in the first-half of the season, becoming a doubles machine. He finished 2024 with 97 RBI, same as 2023. However, after the All-Star break, Bohm went into a slide, and after he came back from his hand injury in September, he was struggling mightily.

Bohm’s frustration reared its ugly head during the playoffs. During an 0-for-4 performance in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Mets, Bohm slammed his helmet down on his field and had terrible body language in the dugout. Manager Rob Thomson didn’t start Bohm for Game 2, but he ended up coming into the game during later innings.

Bohm is a very aggressive hitter and doesn’t see many pitches during his at-bats. He says he won’t change his approach, but the Phillies are going to need him to for the team to move forward in 2025.

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Johan Rojas is a really good defensive center fielder, but he’s just a total liability at the plate. If the Phillies had a lineup that didn’t perform at such extremes, it might not be that big of a deal. But with the Phillies struggling in situational hitting and grinding out at-bats, they need a center fielder who isn’t an automatic out. Rojas doesn’t hit and doesn’t walk. Who could replace Rojas in center field? Could the Phillies move Marsh back and find a platoon mate for him? Could the Phillies swing a trade for a center fielder? We will find out this offseason, but it’s clear it’s time to move on from Rojas.

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If the Phillies want to fix their offense and outfield in one fell swoop, all they got to do is throw $600 million at Juan Soto. Easier said than done. The generational superstar is a free agent for the first time in his career and will command — at minimum — a half-billion dollars on the market. Many teams will look to sign Soto in the offseason — including the New York Yankees and Mets — but don’t be surprised if the Phillies make a play. Owner John Middleton desperately wants to bring a World Series championship back to Philadelphia, and with the way the offense has collapsed these last two postseasons, Soto could be the savior the team is lacking.

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If the Phillies are unable to land Juan Soto, signing Tyler O’Neill isn’t a bad option. The left fielder smacked 31 home runs in 2024 for the Boston Red Sox and had an .847 OPS. If the Phillies trade Marsh or move him back to center, O’Neill would be a great addition to the offense.

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It’s time for the Phillies to buy low on Luis Robert. The Chicago White Sox center fielder had an injury-plagued 2024 season as the team lost 121 games. Robert only hit .224 with a .657 OPS, and finished with just 14 home runs. However, Robert was coming off an All-Star year in 2023 where he hit 38 home runs. He could be that cleanup hitter the Phillies want behind Bryce Harper. He won’t be commanding as much on the trade market this offseason as the White Sox will be looking to move his $15 million salary for 2025.

It’s definitely a flyer worth taking for Robert. If he doesn’t work out, you move on after 2025. But if he thrives, you can pick up his $20 million options for 2026 and 2027.

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The Phillies bullpen shockingly imploded in the playoffs, giving up 16 earned runs in four games. Jeff Hoffman, who had the eighth-best ERA for a reliever during the regular season (2.17), gave up six earned runs in 1 1/3 innings. Despite the playoff performance, it would be prudent to bring back Hoffman, who will be commanding a multi-year deal. He became one of manager Rob Thomson’s most trusted and dependable relievers these last two years. If the Phillies sign him, he immediately slots as the best reliever on the team.

That’s not the only bullpen arm the Phillies should go after, though. The Phillies should also make a push for San Diego Padres left-handed reliever Tanner Scott. He’s been one of the best relievers in the game the last two seasons and Thomson could easily use him in high-leverage situations.

Related: Prominent MLB insider says Juan Soto will get a bigger contract than Shohei Ohtani, with a caveat: Will the Mets or Yankees be willing to pay?

It’s time for the Phillies to end the Taijuan Walker era. The Phillies signed Walker to a four-year, $72 million contract prior to the 2023 season, and he’s been awful. He finished 2024 with a 7.10 ERA in 15 starts and wasn’t added to the postseason roster for the second consecutive year. He was even demoted to the bullpen late in the season. Overall, in 18 games with the Phillies, Walker has a 5.27 ERA and has given up an astounding 44 home runs.

The Phillies will need to add some starting pitching depth this offseason, especially with top prospect Andrew Painter coming off Tommy John surgery. One of those ways is to sign future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer to an incentive-laden one-year deal. He had an injury-riddled 2024 season with the Texas Rangers, only making nine starts. However, Scherzer is a bulldog, and if he is able to stay healthy, he would be a fantastic upgrade to one of the best rotation’s in baseball already.

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