Picture the Philadelphia Phillies retaining Kyle Schwarber as a re-load of ammunition while the team waits for backup forces to help finish the job. After re-inserting the National League home-run king into the lineup, the Phillies front office doubled down on their commitment to win a World Series with the current core. A dominant yet streaky crew that lives with strikeouts, shoves on the mound, and oozes explosive innings. Somehow, they continue to leave food on the table. What now?
Phillies December Shopping Receipt: Updates, Additions, and Outlook
Santa Claus isn’t the only one having a hectic month of December, as new faces litter the familiar Phillies roster in hopes of finishing the quest for a World Series. The eye test would infer that age isn’t a huge problem, considering in 2025, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner each had their best year in Philadelphia. Zack Wheeler was beat up but still dominated. As did Cy Young runner-up Cristopher Sánchez and newcomer Jesus Luzardo. They’re shedding vets like Nick Castellanos, who is likely on his way out; While card collecting, bullpen mainstay Matt Strahm was shipped to Kansas City. Future Hall-of-Fame talent Bryce Harper, who is as healthy as he’ll ever be, hopes to return back or close to his elite form. The team understands that Father Time waits for no one, making it crucial that Dave Dombrowski squeezes the prime years from his core.
Pitchers
Kyle Backhus (LHP) & Jonathan Bowlan (RHP)
It was a busy Friday for the Phillies, who landed bullpen depth after moving on from multi-year workhorse Matt Strahm. The Phillies and Strahm had rising tensions stemming from comments made by Strahm after the postseason. Backhus and Bowlan are two arms that profile well in matchup-specific roles. Kyle Backhus comes from the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he carved out a role dominating left-handed hitters. His sidewinding motion, ability to get late movement on pitches, and success taking away opponents’ power are ideal. He gives Philadelphia a low-cost, flexible option who pitches in high-leverage spots against lefty-heavy lineups.
Jonathan Bowlan, meanwhile, is the complete opposite. He’s effective against right-handed hitters, using sharp breaking balls and a delayed kick to the mound. Backhus and Bowlan offer the Phillies a new pairing of options to help in sticky situations when bridging to closer Jhoan Duran. Ultimately, the additions allow manager Rob Thomson to be more aggressive with matchups late in games while not overtaxing his main arms.
Brad Keller, RHP
Philadelphia agreed to a two-year, $22 million deal with RHP Brad Keller. Fresh off a breakout season where he posted a 2.07 ERA, Keller was one of the more effective relievers in baseball. The best part is his experience as a starter, supplying long-man talent for a Phillies team that needs innings early on. This gives Philadelphia a reliable right-handed bridge for late innings ahead of Duran. Keller’s arm is rising; that is clear. This may be the first Phillies’ multi-year bullpen commitment since Strahm, who they traded to the Royals Friday morning for Jonathan Bowlan. If Keller can replicate Strahm’s 2.0+ WAR over the last two seasons, it’ll be a win.
Non-Pitchers
Adolis García, OF
The Phillies added Adolis García on a one-year deal, costing them $10 million. Off the bat, he bolsters the defense alongside projected rookie center fielder Justin Crawford. Corner defense isn’t massively important, but alongside a raw talent in centerfield, it’s notable. In close to 50 less at-bats, Adolis García had more home runs, RBI, and extra-base hits than Nick Castellanos, who held his spot prior.
The two-time All-Star is a clear upgrade and supplies energy in the clubhouse. Offensively, he’s coming off two down seasons with the Texas Rangers but still offers power potential, especially in hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies are banking on a rebound closer to his peak at the plate alongside bats like Schwarber and Harper. Fastballs are the kryptonite for García, however the two current mashers in Philly don’t see them at all, which makes this a smart move in hopes to get better pitches for all three. García was relied upon as a main power source in the Texas lineup. A new scene, plus extra advice from hitting coach Kyle Long, should do wonders. The playoff-riser could change the game for Philadelphia if he rebounds. Worst case scenario is another failed 1-year deal on a veteran plug and play outfielder–or Nick Castellanos.
Updates & Outlook
Justin Crawford, CF
Justin Crawford has been unlocked. The energetic, exciting talent is poised to be the everyday center fielder in 2026. It’s been a long wait for Crawford, who surely earned the promotion for a Phillies team that desperately needed to add speed, contact at the plate, and youth on the roster. Crawford is only 21 years old, yet he dominated at every level of the minors while being younger than most of his competition. Since 2022, Justin Crawford has batted under .300 only two times (.288, .297) – Sporting impressive .334/.411/.452 splits with 47 stolen bases.
Justin Crawford, son of Carl Crawford, has a good chance of making the Phillies roster to open 2026.
Crawford has three straight seasons with at least a .300 AVG and 40 steals in the minors. pic.twitter.com/TS0R6Ph7ow
— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) December 16, 2025
Evaluators are nervous about Crawford’s Ground-Ball Hit-Rate Percentage (GB%). Yet, Milwaukee Brewers star Christian Yelich and AL Rookie of the Year runner-up Jacob Wilson ranked first and second in the same stat this past season. Also making the top 10 were Elly De La Cruz, Gunnar Henderson, and Carlos Correa. Similar to De La Cruz, Crawford has elite speed, top-end baserunning skills, and a high contact rate, which should even out the data. His 147 hits and .411 OBP also indicate his ability to impact a game while driving the ball into the ground. Crawford’s emergence gives the Phillies a new profile for a lineup long defined by pure power.
J.T. Realmuto, C (FA)
The saga between Realmuto and the Phillies continues into December. The Athletic’s Matt Gelb provided an update, reporting that the two teams are in a stand-off. The expectation is still a reunion. Realmuto, the top catcher on the market, has an offer on his desk from his former team that is likely covered in coffee stains and cliff bars as the catcher fights for an extra year on his 2-year projected deal. It’s highly possible Realmuto is dead set on 3 years as he approaches the golden years of a stellar career behind the plate.
The catchers market isn’t very busy, with a few contenders checking in on the All-Stars progress. Realmuto would be the missing piece for a team like San Diego. He’d also add value for a Boston team fighting to knock off New York and Toronto. The Phillies are certainly planning to have J.T. Realmuto back for Cy Young-caliber arms Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sánchez, but Gelb goes on to say the Phillies have started looking at alternative paths. Make sure to flip the lights off to save cash at Citizens Bank Park, because Realmuto is fighting and winning. The longer he’s on the market, the more desperate catcher-needy clubs will feel to upgrade at catcher. Unless the market dries quickly, it’s smart for Philadelphia to bite the bullet and offer three years in preparation for a band-aid starting rotation early in the season.
Cracks Still Show
- The offense still skews lefty-heavy — Need to add a right-hand platoon partner in left field for Brandon Marsh. Marsh is extremely streaky and hasn’t grown against lefties as hoped. He only costs $3 million, which is why he’s still in Philadelphia.
- García’s offensive upside is uncertain; if he doesn’t rebound, the lineup will need retooling quickly. The lack of contractual commitments in the 2026 outfield will allow for options to Triple-A, DFAs, etc—unlike 2025.
- Reliance on Andrew Painter & Justin Crawford as first-time big leaguers could come with growing pains.
- The rotation will be without Zack Wheeler to start. They will also lose Ranger Suárez in free agency, leading to a starter shortage with a surplus of innings to fill. Keller will help, but additional starting help is ideal–especially with Taijuan Walker & Andrew Painter, who are question marks on the mound.
Main Photo Credit: © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
The post Phillies Shopping in December: Additions, Updates and Outlook appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.