Philly Plain Dealer

The Philadelphia Phillies are gearing up for the 2025 season with several offseason moves aimed at building on last year’s disappointing playoff exit. From bolstering their rotation with left-hander Jesus Luzardo to adding outfield depth with Max Kepler, the Phillies are trying to extend their championship window any way they can. While they lost some key pieces of last year’s 95-win squad, strategic signings suggest the team is aiming to retool effectively without blowing huge amounts of money. After all, they’re already projected to have the third highest payroll in the league in 2025, according to Fangraphs. Let’s look at some of the major arrivals and departures.

Jesus Luzardo

One of the biggest moves of the Phillies’ offseason came with the acquisition of left-handed pitcher Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins. At just 27 years old, Luzardo is entering his prime, although he was limited to only 12 starts in 2024 due to a back injury. Once a top pitching prospect, Luzardo has struggled to live up to expectations, though could be partially attributed to Miami’s abysmal pitching development. GM Dave Dombrowski hopes that Luzardo can reach his full potential in Philadelphia. 

The addition of the left-hander is a sorely needed piece, as the Phillies rotation ran thin multiple times last season, mainly due to Taijuan Walker’s struggles. Walker posted a horrendous 7.10 ERA over 83.2 innings last season, and his time in the starting rotation should be coming to an end. His spot will be filled by Luzardo, who posted a 3.58 ERA and 208 strikeouts in 2023, a major improvement. His arrival addresses a critical need for balance in the Phillies rotation, who have heavily leaned on right-handers Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola in recent years.

Luzardo’s addition is a great move, but it did come at a cost: Starlyn Caba, the 4^th ranked prospect in the Phillies’ farm system, and Emaarion Boyd (23^rd ranked prospect) were sent to Miami. This move reflects the win-now attitude of the front office. 

Max Kepler

To address their needs for stability in the outfield, the Phillies signed free agent Max Kepler to a one-year, $10 million deal. The German-born lefty has spent his entire 10-year career with the Minnesota Twins and boasts a commanding 6-4 frame. However, his power has tailed off since the 2019 season, when he hit 32 home runs and slugged .519. Since then, he only has had an OPS over .800 once, and last season posted a dreadful .682 OPS. The Phillies hope that hitting coach Kevin Long can tap into his power once again. He is poised to play LF, a position he has excelled at over the last two years. His Outs Above Average (OAA) in left field has consistently been in the top 15% of corner outfielders in the league. He may have to choose a new jersey number though, as his usual 26 will likely be retired by the Phillies at some point in the coming years. 

Kepler’s signing will hopefully prevent Kyle Schwarber from ever playing the outfield again. Schwarber was the worst outfielder defensively in baseball in 2023, and aside from a few starts in 2024, hasn’t played much in the field since. Between Kepler, Rojas, Castellanos, and Marsh, the Phillies outfield depth should be sufficient to ensure that Schwarber stays our incredible DH for the foreseeable future.

Jordan Romano

Upon losing Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez, the Phillies signed former Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano to a 1-year, $8.5 million contract. Romano spent most of last year on the Injured list, but not before posting an egregious 6.59 ERA over 14 appearances. Romano is only 32 years old and could be a prime bounce-back candidate. From 2020-2023, he converted 97 out of 109 save opportunities for the Blue Jays. The Phillies have struggled to find consistency in their bullpen for the last few years, and they’re hoping Romano can answer the call. 

This is a move that seems bad on paper but actually has a very high upside. Regarding the bullpen pieces who are leaving, Jeff Hoffman was on the way out and failed TWO physicals before he found a team to sign him (Toronto). The front office undoubtedly knew that Hoffman was damaged goods and wasn’t willing to take a risk on him, especially not for the 3 years, $33 million he signed for. Estevez was good last year but was wild in high leverage situations and crumbled in the playoffs. He will also likely command more money than the Phillies are willing to pay. 

Romano will join the returning Jose Alvarado, Matt Strahm, and Orion Kerkering in the bullpen. Hopefully Caleb Cotham has been working with this group of desperados, as they were all effectively wild at one point or another last season.

Whether the Phillies make any other big moves this offseason is unknown, but I wouldn’t count on it. They’re already over the luxury tax, and Spring training is less than a month away. It seems like the Phillies 2025 squad is rounding into form. Expect to see a lot of these three newly minted Phillies in the upcoming season, as they each will play a critical role on the team.