Breaking Down Biggest Issue for Phillies Entering the Offseason

What is the biggest issue for the Philadelphia Phillies entering the offseason?

Sep 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Luis Arraez (4) prepares to bat during the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies are preparing for what is likely going to be a busy offseason for the team after a disappointing early exit from the postseason. There will be no shortage of decisions to make for the team and the direction in which they go in will be interesting. 

While it was quite the accomplishment that the Phillies were able to go from one of the worst teams to start the season to making the playoffs. For five straight years, Philadelphia being in the postseason is great to see, but early exits have become frustrating. 

This is a team that has a lot of talent, but the last couple of years especially, it has felt like they have underachieved. While there are multiple reasons for some of the struggles in the past, this year they had two glaring ones. 

The bullpen was not able to get the job done in middle relief. Even though the team had a great rotation and closer, the in-between was a struggle. Furthermore, the lineup for the Phillies also was a let down and as the team heads into the offseason, how they fix it will be a major question. 

Lineup is Major Concern 

Sep 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh (16) watches his two-run home run during the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When looking at the batting order for Philadelphia, this is a group that should have been a lot better than they were. The Phillies had multiple All-Stars this year, but some really bad stretches at times hurt the group. 

Now, as the team starts to figure out ways to get better, they will have to figure out how to improve this group and that won’t be easy. Of some of the players who struggled at the plate, both J.T. Realmuto and Trea Turner are signed to multi-year deals. 

Realmuto still provides some value defensively, but he was mostly a non-factor in the batting order. Furthermore, Turner also had arguably the worst year of his career. 

At the trade deadline, the Phillies were aggressive in trying to get help and they landed All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez. Unfortunately, despite having a great first half of the season with the San Francisco Giants, he didn’t live up to expectations for Philadelphia. Also, he got injured right at the end of the season and was unable to play in the postseason. 

Both Arraez and Alec Bohm are going to be free agents for the team this year. Of the two, Bohm probably would be the one to bring back with a need to fill at third base. 

Overall, it certainly feels like a shakeup could happen for this group and it will be interesting to see what Dave Dombrowski and the front office do.