Alec Bohm played some of his best postseason baseball over the past three days. Batting 4-for-12 with the game-winning home run in Game Two, the corner infielder ended the year on a good note with the Phillies. He was one of the few to show up offensively when the Phillies needed it most.
Now, for the third straight season, the Phillies have been eliminated from the postseason in their first round of contention. The season is over.
With the end of the year also comes the end of several contracts on the Phillies, Bohm included. After another early postseason exit, the front office must decide how much of this roster is worth bringing back. Here is a look at the Phillies’ pending free agents and who could return for another shot in 2027.
We begin with possibly the most difficult name on this list. Alec Bohm’s tenure in Philadelphia has contained some of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Bohm reflected on his tenure after the game Thursday, saying to Ty Daubert, “I definitely feel like we have unfinished business here, and I want to be a part of the team that gets it done.”
Bohm has been a part of the core of this Phillies team since he made his debut during the shortened 2020 season. Having now finished his age-29 season, the infielder owns a .273 average and .735 OPS with the Phillies. His defense has never been anything more than average at best, though the late-season move to first base this year seems to be a more agreeable position for the tall fielder.
While there could still be a spot for Bohm in Philadelphia, where the move to first base becomes permanent, the Phillies need to make some cutthroat decisions to change the chemistry of this team. The core of this Phillies team is getting older every season, and with several players signed to long-term contracts, changes need to be made where possible. Letting Bohm walk is an important step.
Opinion: He should not be back in 2027.
What sparked Bohm’s move to first base in the first place was the Phillies’ acquisition of Luis Arraez from the San Francisco Giants. A contact hitter with good speed and a strong glove, Arraez had a .324 batting average with the Giants before the Trade Deadline. After joining the Phillies, it dropped to .278. Whether it was simply Arraez’s version of a slump or a change in approach after meeting Kevin Long is hard to say, but something changed when he came to the Phillies.
Then, as the team prepared for the postseason, Arraez suffered an ankle injury that kept him off the NL Wild Card roster. The injury took an already thin Phillies’ bench and turned it razor-thin, compromising some of their efforts during the Wild Card Series.
Opinion: If Arraez wants to return to Philadelphia, the Phillies should make it happen. A determination will need to be made as to whether Bryson Stott stays at third base long-term or if Trea Turner is shifted into the outfield, but a bat of Arraez’s ability would be valuable for whoever is at the helm in 2026.
Since joining the Phillies in 2022, Edmundo Sosa has been the most productive player on the bench the Phillies have had. Owning a solid .260 average and a seemingly clutch gene for pinch-hitting, Sosa has even made the occasional stretch as a starter while the Phillies deal with an injury in the infield. It feels as though once a season, Sosa goes on a hot streak so hot that fans clamor for him to become a starter.
While the Phillies should attempt to bring Sosa back as a utility player, the 30-year-old deserves a chance at a starting job elsewhere if he can find one.
Opinion: It is for that reason I do not expect Edmundo Sosa to return in 2027.
There is no need to deliberate here.
Adolis García was brought on in hopes of filling right field and only played 67 games before a season-ending injury.
Opinion: García will not return.
Three larger pieces in the Phillies bullpen paired together for the sake of this article.
Had José Alvarado returned from his suspension for PED’s and clocked in a strong year, it would make complete sense for Alvarado to return. He is a player who is great for the clubhouse and is a power left-handed pitcher. That did not happen. Alvarado pitched a career-worst 5.86 ERA in 2026 and could not be trusted to pitch in the postseason.
Opinion: Alvarado should not return.
Brooks Raley was acquired from the New York Mets in a way to make up for Alvarado’s down year. Having posted a 1.96 ERA in 45 appearances for the Mets, it felt like a good match for the Phillies. His ERA with the Phillies ended the year six runs higher than it did with the Mets.
Opinion: Raley will not return to the Phillies.
The one bullpen name that might return, however, is Tim Mayza. At age 34, Mayza was a bit of a workhorse for the Phillies in the bullpen, pitching 67.1 innings for a 3.48 ERA. Though Mayza is certainly not a closer or a reliable high-leverage arm, you need pitchers in the bullpen that can take you from Point A to Point B reliably.
Opinion: The Phillies should bring back Mayza as a part of a new bullpen.
Three veteran names with little-to-no impact on the Phillies’ season.
Dylan Moore, Nestor Cortes, and Jose Urquidy will likely fade into free agency and find new teams.
Though Don Mattingly is not a free agent, he is worth discussing here. Mattingly’s tenure as interim manager has been a rocky one. He managed to bring the Phillies back to the postseason but needed all 162 games to do so and eliminated any chance of setting up the pitching rotation for the postseason.
You could spend all day analyzing Mattingly’s decisions, tendencies, and performance, but his stint as interim manager is over. Mattingly will likely remain with the Phillies as a coach or advisor, but there will be a new skipper for 2027.
The Phillies have spent three straight Octobers arriving at the same ending. This offseason needs to offer a different beginning.
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