LOS ANGELES — The Phillies lost in seven games in the National League Championship Series in 2023, and short of not finding roster space for Rhys Hoskins on the roster, decided to run it back in 2024.
Those Phillies won 95 games, the National League East for the first time in a decade and backslid one round of the playoffs, and the front office decided to run it back one more time.
After the latest postseason failure, sealed by the 2-1, 11-inning loss in Game 4 to the Dodgers, running it back once more is both logistically fraught if — given the diminishing returns in the postseason — it’s even palatable.
The Phillies head into the latest disappointingly early offseason with three major members of their nucleus — J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber and Ranger Suarez — as pending free agents, not to mention increasingly loud questions about the status of manager Rob Thomson.
That uncertainty hung over the visitor’s clubhouse at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night, as much as the shock of Orion Kerkering’s error or the hurt of a second straight NLDS exit as the ostensible higher seed.
Thomson brushed off his part of the assessment.
“It’s out of my control,” the veteran manager said. “I’m not even thinking about it. I’ve got 60 people in there that are brokenhearted right now. So I’m thinking about that more so than my job right now.”
Thomson, at age 62, may be facing the end of a long, rich life in baseball, at least in an on-field capacity.
He landed his first managerial job at age 58, has won games at a .580 clip with the Phillies, with two National League East titles. His 346 wins are 10th in club history, more than Larry Bowa. His winning percentage is best among Phillies managers to be in charge for more than 35 games.
But playoff regression cannot be ignored. And as much as the blame may fall on big-time hitters who failed to show up for a second straight postseason, Thomson’s game management also warrants interrogation.
The answer seems clear in his clubhouse.
“100 percent,” Trea Turner answered to the question of if he thinks Thomson is the right man to lead the team. “He’s great. I’ve been blessed with a lot of good managers in my career. I’ve probably played for four or five now, and they’ve all been really good. And he’s right up there with them. He’s got all the qualities. He keeps it even keel all year long. He blends the old school and the new school, and he’s willing to adapt and change and do different things. I don’t think you can ask for more.”
Bryce Harper, whose voice carries the most weight, offered affection if not unequivocal endorsement.
“I love Topper, man,” he said. “He’s done a great job for us. I have no idea. That’s a (Dave) Dombrowski question, but obviously we love Topper here. He’s been great for us.”
Schwarber is the most obvious roster question.
Off a career season at age 32 in which he hit 56 homers and led MLB with 132 RBIs, he’s improbably getting better with age.
He’s moved beyond past injuries, played all 162 games, albeit as a designated hitter, and has become a historically effective hitter against lefties. At the end of a four-year, $79 million deal, he’s in position for the last big deal of his career and to continue what he hopes is a late-career push toward 500 home runs and Hall of Fame candidacy.
Schwarber will have suitors. And while he got choked up discussing teammates in Philadelphia that have become family, he won’t come cheap.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for the guys in here, our organization, the coaching staff, everyone top to bottom,” Schwarber said. “This is a premier organization, and a lot of people should feel very lucky that you’re playing for a team that is trying to win every single year, and you have a fanbase that cares, and you have an ownership that cares.”
As far as the future, Schwarber left it at, “I’ve always said there’s going to be mutual interest between both of us, so we’ll see where that takes off.”
Realmuto didn’t allow the conversation to even get that far, shutting down any question that weren’t about Game 4.
The longest-tenured position player, he was the first established vet to arrive in 2019 as the team fought back to relevance, preparing the ground for Harper, Turner and others. At age 34, he hit .257 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs in 134 games, remarkable durability for his position and age.
But catchers age at different rates. And any multi-year deal for a backstop would be risky, even with his immense value guiding a pitching staff.
“Obviously J.T. is one of the best catchers in baseball,” Harper said. “The guys love pitching to him, he calls a great game. He had a great year this year, a great postseason. Schwarbs is obviously one of our team leaders, one of the cornerstones of this organization.
“I don’t know. I’m not really sure what happens or what goes into this offseason or where we kind of go from here. I think obviously those two guys are going to be a main decision for us, main competition for us as a team and as a club. Obviously we love those two guys and would want him back.”
“I hope I won’t say goodbye to them,” Aaron Nola said. “I’ve spent a while with them. Such great teammates, such great players, great leaders in this clubhouse. And I hope they’re back, I really do.”
Then there’s Suarez, who at age 30 has spent almost half his life as a Phillie, since signing at age 16 out of Venezuela.
Suarez was a rock in Game 3, tossing five innings of one-run ball out of the bullpen for the Phillies’ lone victory. He was arguably the most valuable pitcher in 2022 with his ability to flex into starting and relief roles. In a team of players who’ve come up short in the postseason, his career 1.48 ERA over 42.2 October innings shines.
Suarez will head into free agency for the first time in his career. He’ll have a chance to get life-changing money on the open market.
“I spent a lot of time with this team, and got to know everyone around the team,” Suarez said via a translator. “Obviously all the love that I shared with a lot of my teammates, a lot of the coaching staff and the team staff as well. It’s a little tough and it’s a little hard right now to not know what’s next.”
The despair in the room needed no embellishment Thursday. But the uncertainty that it ushers in, the certainty that this is the last time this group will be together, adds additional weight.
“It’s disappointing,” Schwarber said. “It’s not about the last play. It’s not about that. It’s just the group that we have. I felt that our group, even though we were down two games, I just felt like that we had a group that we’ve shown that we’ve been able to overcome a lot of different things, and I felt really deep down in my heart that this was a team that was going to do it and overcome that.”
