Philly Leader

The Philadelphia Phillies are setting their sights on the upcoming season with several strategic moves and considerations. Following the signing of outfielder Max Kepler to a one-year deal, Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations, emphasized Kepler's anticipated significant role in the team's future plans.

Dombrowski shared insights into various aspects of the Phillies' offseason strategies, including their pursuit of Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki and potential roster adjustments involving Alec Bohm.

Regarding Kepler's position, the Phillies intend for him to be the everyday left fielder. This move will likely shift Brandon Marsh to center field to compete with Johan Rojas while Nick Castellanos remains in right field. The goal is to minimize platoon usage in 2025.

Kepler's $10 million contract, alongside Jordan Romano’s $8.5 million deal signed earlier this month, suggests a cautious approach toward managing the 2025 payroll. Dombrowski acknowledged that these deals bring them close to the fourth luxury tax threshold of $301 million, where spending beyond this point incurs a 110 percent tax rate.

"I’d be surprised if we got into impactful-type of free-agent signings from an offensive perspective," said Dombrowski. "But you still try to keep things in perspective."

As for Roki Sasaki, while interest was expressed by the Phillies at the Winter Meetings, they have not been invited for further discussions with Sasaki's camp. "We have not been invited to talk to him at this point," Dombrowski stated.

Trade rumors surrounding third baseman Alec Bohm were addressed as well. Manager Rob Thomson reassured Bohm amid speculation about his future with the team. While offers have been considered, no imminent trades are expected. "He's been working hard," Dombrowski remarked about Bohm's commitment and potential.

Looking ahead, while major free-agent acquisitions seem unlikely for now, there is an intention to bolster starting pitching depth. The current rotation includes Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez, Cristopher Sánchez and Taijuan Walker with prospect Andrew Painter also being a key player in waiting.

“Ideally we would like to come up with that starting pitching depth,” said Dombrowski regarding adding versatile pitching options similar to Spencer Turnbull’s role last season.

Dombrowski concluded on an optimistic note: "You can always get better and we'll look to get better.”