The Philadelphia Phillies could look vastly different in 2026 following a second consecutive quick postseason exit. All-Stars Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Ranger Suarez are all free agents, and during a podcast interview Thursday, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski hinted one of them won’t return.
It’s widely expected the Phillies will re-sign Schwarber — who led the National League with 56 home runs and 132 RBI — and Realmuto, since there is no other viable catching option internally or on the free-agent market. That leaves Suarez, who has been one of the team’s best pitchers since 2021, as the likely departure.
Rotation Depth Makes Suarez Expendable
The Phillies already have a rotation stacked with Zack Wheeler — who will be coming back from surgery to remove a blood clot near his right pitching shoulder — Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and Aaron Nola. With Wheeler, Nola and Sanchez signed long-term and Luzardo entering free agency after 2026, there might not be enough money to retain Suarez, who could command as much as $25 million annually.
“Anytime you can throw Wheeler, you can throw Sanchez, you can throw Luzardo, you can throw Nola as your top four, no matter what happens with Suarez, you’re in pretty good shape to move forward,” Dombrowski said on the “Foul Territory” podcast.
"Anytime you can throw Wheeler, Sanchez, Luzardo, and Nola as your top four, no matter what happens with Suárez, you're in pretty good shape."
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) October 23, 2025
Dave Dombrowski says he still has a hefty payroll to work with, but it'll be a challenge to re-sign everyone. pic.twitter.com/JIC4tYukU5
Dombrowski revealed he will have a “very hefty payroll” to use in free agency but added the team will still face challenges.
“It’s going to be hard to sign all of our players just because there’s so many of them. And we’re also challenged with some younger players that finally in our system are ready to step in and play for us,” he said, referring to pitcher Andrew Painter, outfielder Justin Crawford and infielder Aiden Miller.
Dombrowski continued: “It’s going to be a tough winter. We’re going to have to do a lot of balancing. I think we have a chance to still really have a good club because I think we’ll bring some of the guys back. We’ll have financial wherewithal.”
If the Phillies don’t bring Suarez back, it will end an eight-year run for the 30-year-old lefty in Philadelphia. During that tenure, Suarez compiled a 3.38 ERA and 53-37 record in 187 games (119 starts) with a 17.8 bWAR and an All-Star selection in 2024.
