Philadelphia sports fans will soon be presented with a first — a chance to actually save money during the streaming wars.
Beginning this week, YouTube TV is rolling out a sports-specific plan featuring channels with major sports rights that will cost $64.99 a month, $18 less than what it currently charges for a subscription.
New subscribers can nab the deal for $54.99 a month for a year.
The plan will include all the major broadcast networks — ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox — and cable channels that hold sports rights, including ESPN’s networks (and full access to ESPN Unlimited beginning in the fall), FS1, TNT, TBS, TruTV (for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament), CBS Sports Network, Golf Channel, and USA Network, the U.S. home of Premier League games.
NBC Sports Philadelphia also will be included in the slimmed-down sports bundle for those who live in the Philadelphia TV market, a YouTube spokesperson confirmed. So will NBC’s other three regional sports networks in their respective areas: Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Northern California. NBC Sports Philadelphia also still will be available to stream without a cable subscription through Peacock and MLB.TV.
YouTubeTV’s sports bundle will also include league-centric channels like the NFL Network (now owned by ESPN), the Big Ten Network, and NBA TV, which this season basically just airs a whip-around show called The Association and a handful of NBA games.
While the plan gets sports fans the bulk of NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL games, there are a few omissions. Amazon’s Prime Video, which features Thursday Night Football, weekly NBA games, and playoff games in both leagues, isn’t included. It also doesn’t include the handful of NFL and MLB games streamed by Netflix, or Apple TV+’s Friday Night Baseball or MLS games.
Another notable omission is MLB Network, which hasn’t been available on YouTube TV since 2023 because of a carriage dispute.
YouTube TV is also rolling out slimmed-down subscription offerings for entertainment fans ($54.99 a month), a sports-plus-news package ($71.99 a month), and a family-focused plan ($69.99 a month).
Why now? Growth. YouTubeTV is the third-largest cable TV provider in the country and growing, with over 10 million subscribers, trailing just Charter (12.6 million) and Comcast (11.3 million). While Comcast has been shedding video customers, Charter has been able to stem its losses by offering its own skinny bundle, something fans and non-fans alike have been complaining about for years.
YouTube, the free older brother of YouTube TV, hasn’t been quiet about wanting to stream more NFL games in the near future. It could get its wish as soon as next season.
As part of its purchase of NFL Media and the NFL Network, ESPN agreed to give the league back the TV rights to four games. Those will now head to the marketplace, where YouTube is expected be among the bidders. It’s no surprise that YouTube CEO Neal Mohan was among the big names sitting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in his Super Bowl box on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
“We really value our partnership with the NFL,” Christian Oestlien, YouTube’s vice president of subscription product, told Bloomberg.com in a recent interview. “Everything we’ve done with them so far has been really successful. And so we’re very excited about the idea that we could be doing more with them.”
YouTube’s biggest competitor for those four games likely will be Netflix, which is entering the last year of its three-season deal to stream NFL Christmas games. Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-CEO, was also in Goodell’s booth.
YouTube streamed its first NFL game last season, the Week 1 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers played in São Paulo, Brazil. The game drew 17.3 million global viewers, including 16.2 million in the United States, a big number boosting the streamer’s chances of landing more games.
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ESPN will broadcast next year’s Super Bowl in Los Angeles, and you’re going to hear a lot over the next year about it being the network’s first. But it has aired on sister network, ABC. As pointed out by Sports Media Watch’s Jon Lewis, ABC has broadcast three Super Bowls since being purchased by ESPN’s parent company, Disney, in 1996 — in 2000, 2003, and 2006, with coverage featuring Chris Berman and a number of ESPN personalities. The Super Bowl also has aired in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.
Happy trails to the laptop of The Athletic’s Tony Jones, which was destroyed after it was hit by a T-shirt shot by a cannon during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl. Jones said the rolled-up T-shirt hit his computer, which then hit him in the face, cracking the screen and preventing him from filing a story.
NBC will air MLB games this season for the first time since 1989 and is filling out its broadcast bench, adding studio analysts (and recent MLBers) Clayton Kershaw, Anthony Rizzo, and Joey Votto. You might not see much of them during the regular season, but all three will be part of NBC’s coverage of the wild-card series, which it’s taking over from ESPN.
Super Bowl viewership numbers will be out later Tuesday. If you care about such things and have seen numbers on social media, ignore them. The Eagles’ blowout win last year against the Chiefs averaged over 127 million viewers, peaking with Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show, with over 133 million people tuning in. We’ll see how Bad Bunny and Sunday’s boring Super Bowl can match that.
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Say this for the 2026 Phillies: They’re recognizable without a program.
Kyle Schwarber is back. So is J.T. Realmuto. And although team officials cite a new right fielder, a remade bullpen, and a commitment to two top prospects as a rebuttal to the claim that they are running back the roster, there was a week in January when they nearly put the darned thing in a blender.
If the Phillies signed Bo Bichette — and they agreed to offer what he asked for (seven years, $200 million, according to a major-league source) — it would have set off a chain reaction. They’d have moved on from Realmuto to a less-expensive catcher (they talked with Victor Caratini) and probably have traded Alec Bohm to open third base.
Instead, Bichette took a higher-salary, shorter-term offer from the New York Mets, and the Phillies turned back to Realmuto. Re-signing two foundational players — also, the best DH and catcher in free agency — was Plan A anyway. And keeping together the guts of a roster that won … checks standings … 96 games last season is sensible, even if fans are restless after back-to-back divisional-round knockouts.
That’s the backdrop as spring training begins. Let’s dive in with our annual Starting 9 — a lineup of Phillies questions for the next six weeks in Florida.
Rob Thomson is set to begin his fifth season as manager of the Phillies.
“I think it’s to be determined,” the manager said recently on The Inquirer’s Phillies Extra podcast. “But I feel better about it.”
It’s a high bar. And the Phillies did lose mainstay starter Ranger Suárez and trade-deadline spark Harrison Bader in free agency. But Thomson’s optimism stems from a belief that rookies Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford can fill those spots. Having star closer Jhoan Duran for a full season helps, too. Adolis García is, at minimum, a defensive upgrade over Nick Castellanos in right field.
It’s reasonable to call for change, and the flirtation with Bichette signaled management’s interest in a different look. But different isn’t always good, and BetMGM set the Same Old Phillies’ over/under win total at 90.5, a reminder that they’re still very good.
Are they better? Not yet, but check back.
Bryce Harper was still productive in 2025, but he wasn’t patient at the plate or particularly clutch either.
Perspective is important. Harper missed most of June with an inflamed right wrist, leaving his counting stats — homers (27), RBIs (75), doubles (32) — short of his career norms. But by OPS (.844), he ranked 22nd among 145 hitters who qualified for the batting title. Based on OPS-plus, he was 29% better than league average.
Here’s what Harper wasn’t: patient. He swung at 35.6% of pitches out of the strike zone, well above his career average (29.3%). He wasn’t clutch, either. Only one of the Phillies’ biggest 43 hits by Win Probability Added belonged to MV3; he batted .233 with a .762 OPS with runners in scoring position.
The first thing seems fixable. Maybe it will help if Harper bats in front of Schwarber rather than behind him. The second? The Phillies are betting on it being aberrational, not the start of a decline at age 33.
Phillies ace Zack Wheeler is attempting to come back from major surgery in September.
To recap: In August, Wheeler developed a blood clot near his right shoulder and was diagnosed with a condition in which a vein is compressed between the collarbone and rib cage. He had surgery to remove the clot, then a second procedure in September to relieve the vein by removing the first rib.
Wheeler spent the offseason in Philadelphia, rehabbing under the supervision of team doctors and trainers. He got back on a mound last week. He will turn 36 in May. It’s unlikely he will be ready for opening day, Thomson said Monday, but the Phillies don’t expect him to be far behind.
“He’s wants to be an All-Star,” Thomson said. “He’s got a carrot out there that he’s after. We’re not going to push him because we want a healthy Zack Wheeler. We want him back to normal, and I believe he’s going to get there.”
Normal, for Wheeler, is among the best two or three pitchers in baseball, dominant and durable. It’s a long way back to that level. It’ll be fascinating to watch him try to get there.
Alec Bohm is a candidate to return to the cleanup spot for the Phillies.
4. Batting cleanup …?
This is where Bichette came in. Maybe not in the cleanup spot, per se. But the two-time American League hit king surely would have joined Trea Turner, Harper, and Schwarber — in some order — in the top half of the lineup.
So, now what?
“I’ve got some ideas,” Thomson said. “I’ve got to talk to the players about it, but you could see a change.”
The implication is that Schwarber and Harper will be flip-flopped in the Nos. 2 and 3 spots behind Turner as a way of getting Harper to see more strikes. But then who bats behind Schwarber?
Bohm may be the first choice. He batted .216 with a .571 OPS in 26 starts in the cleanup spot last year, but excelled there (.283, .769) in 2024. García is another option after batting cleanup in 71% of his starts for the Rangers since 2022. But Thomson believes García put too much pressure on himself last year in Texas and might prefer to ease him in.
Either way, the Phillies must get more production out of the cleanup spot. They ranked 20th last season with a .720 OPS.
The Phillies are expected to trade or release Nick Castellanos before the first full-squad workout in spring training.
5. Will anyone trade for Castellanos?
Think of Castellanos as a car on the side of the road. It’s running, with the keys in the ignition. The Phillies just haven’t gotten anyone to drive it away.
They have a few more days.
“We continue to talk to clubs about [a trade],” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday.
And if they don’t find a taker before Monday’s first full-squad workout?
“At this point, we’re doing everything we can to make a move by that time period,” Dombrowski said. “I’ll leave it at that right now.“
OK, so everyone knows that Castellanos’ relationship with the organization soured last season when he clashed with Thomson over playing time, including an incident in the dugout in Miami that led to a one-game benching.
In November, Dombrowski said “change of sceneries can be beneficial for people.” Nothing has changed. But before the Phillies release Castellanos and swallow his entire $20 million salary, they will exhaust all trade options. The San Diego Padres have a need after ranking 27th in the majors with a .630 OPS from the DH spot. The Colorado Rockies need a lot, including a DH (.613 OPS last season).
In any case, it would be a stunner if Castellanos walks into the clubhouse next week.
Rookie Justin Crawford is the Phillies’ presumptive opening-day center fielder.
6. What’s reasonable to expect from Crawford and Painter?
Nobody expects them to carry the team.
Crawford turned 22 last month; Painter will be 23 in April. Besides, Harper & Friends (Turner, Schwarber, Realmuto, Wheeler, and Aaron Nola) are still near enough to their primes to do the heaviest lifting.
But if the organization is to transition from this core to the next without a rebuilding gap in between, Crawford, Painter, and eventually top prospect Aidan Miller must light the way.
The projection models are promising. Crawford is pegged to bat .286/.337/.390 with seven homers, 29 steals, a 103 wRC+ (weighted runs created plus; 100 is league average), and 2.0 wins above replacement, based on the ZiPS forecasting system. Steamer, another system used by FanGraphs, has Painter for a 4.69 ERA in 133 innings.
Those would be solid numbers for a rookie No. 9 hitter and debutant No. 5 starter, with room to grow.
Phillies top prospect Aidan Miller has a chance to make his major-league debut later this season.
7. When will it be Miller’s time?
Of all the reasons to be bullish on Miller — extra-base power, a high contact rate, and stolen-base aptitude — here’s one more: He’s a quick study.
To wit: After getting promoted to high-A Jersey Shore in 2024, Miller batted .169 and slugged .268 through his first 71 at-bats. He made adjustments and got on a .299/.526 roll over his final 154 at-bats.
Exhibit B: Last year, the Phillies challenged Miller by starting him at double-A Reading, where he was among the youngest players in the league. He batted .234 and slugged .355 through the All-Star break, then went on a .302/.550 kick before going 9-for-27 (.333) with a 1.032 OPS in a weeklong triple-A cameo to end the season.
It wouldn’t be surprising, then, if the Phillies punch the accelerator on Miller. He’s blocked at shortstop by Turner, but the plan is to get him reps at third base in spring training.
If Miller gets off to a blazing start in triple A and Bohm struggles again in April, well, it could get interesting.
Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez will pitch for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic next month.
8. Will the WBC be a disruption?
Eleven players — more than one-quarter of the 40-man roster — will leave camp at the end of the month to compete for their respective countries in the World Baseball Classic. It’s not ideal.
But the Phillies aren’t unique, either. The Boston Red Sox also will have 11 players leaving major league camp; the Seattle Mariners will have 10. The Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago Cubs will have eight apiece.
“I played for Team Canada a couple of times, and to play for your country is quite an honor,” Thomson said. “You’re holding your breath when the guys go. But at the end of it, if they come out of it clean, I think it’s really good.”
Specifically, the Phillies will cross their fingers and toes for the health of five pitchers: Cristopher Sánchez (Dominican Republic), Nola (Italy), Taijuan Walker (Mexico), and relievers Brad Keller (U.S.) and José Alvarado (Venezuela). Harper and Schwarber will join Keller on Team USA. Edmundo Sosa (Panama), Johan Rojas (D.R.), and Garrett Stubbs and Max Lazar (Israel) are also competing.
Veteran major-league outfielder Bryan De La Cruz will be a nonroster invitee to Phillies camp after signing a minor-league contract in November.
9. Is there a sleeper to watch?
Don’t mistake passing on a handful of righty-hitting free-agent outfielders as an indication that the Phillies are still holding out hope for Brandon Marsh to hit left-handed pitching. Maybe he’ll turn into a latter-day Schwarber, but the Phillies aren’t under any illusions.
In that case, why not sign Rob Refsnyder, Lane Thomas, Austin Hays, Miguel Andújar, or at least so far, Randal Grichuk?
Two words: Otto Kemp.
Dombrowski and Thomson have talked up Kemp throughout the winter. Kemp slugged .558 with four homers in 57 plate appearances after getting called back up in September despite playing through shoulder and knee injuries that required offseason surgeries. He’s healthy now and will get the first shot at platooning with Marsh in left field.
But there’s another option. Maybe you remember Bryan De La Cruz from his years with the Miami Marlins. He bats from the right side and has 58 career homers, seven against the Phillies. The 29-year-old signed a minor-league deal in November, then batted .301 with eight homers and an .888 OPS en route to being named MVP of the Dominican Winter League.
Could he be the surprise of camp? There’s always one.
And if the Phillies don’t find a taker for the disgruntled right fielder before the first full-squad workout Monday?
“We’re doing everything we can to make a move by that time period,” Dombrowski said. “I’ll leave it at that right now.“
If the Phillies don’t trade Castellanos, they’re expected to release him. Either way, they will pay all or most of his $20 million salary.
No matter what, though, don’t expect him to walk through the doors of the spring-training complex.
Castellanos’ relationship within the clubhouse soured last season when he clashed with manager Rob Thomson over playing time, including an incident in the dugout in Miami that led to a one-game benching. In December, the Phillies extended Thomson’s contract through 2027.
Also in December, the Phillies signed free-agent outfielder Adolis García to a one-year, $10 million contract to take Castellanos’ spot in right field.
Castellanos turns 34 in March and is coming off his worst season in which he fumbled his everyday role in August. He batted .250 with 17 homers and an 88 OPS-plus (12% below league average). He also was among the majors’ worst outfield defenders, with negative-11 defensive runs saved.
But in a depressed offensive environment across the sport, especially among righty-hitting outfielders, the Phillies hoped to peddle Castellanos to a team that was willing to pick up even a portion of his salary in the last year of his contract.
The Pittsburgh Pirates appeared to be a potential partner after losing out in the bidding for several free agents, notably Kyle Schwarber. But Pittsburgh signed designated hitter Marcell Ozuna to a one-year, $12 million contract on Monday.
A major league source said Monday the Phillies were still talking with “two or three teams” about Castellanos. The San Diego Padres might have a need after ranking 27th in the majors with a .630 OPS from the DH spot last season. The Colorado Rockies need a lot, including a DH (.613 OPS last season).
It’s unlikely that Zack Wheeler will be ready for opening day, but he won’t be “too far behind that,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said on Monday.
It was never a given that Wheeler would be back in the rotation for the start of the 2026 Phillies season. After being diagnosed with a blood clot in his upper right arm, Wheeler underwent venous thoracic outlet decompression surgery on Sept. 23, and the general timeline for return is six to eight months.
Wheeler, 35, has not yet thrown off a mound and has continued to throw at a distance of 90 feet. He last threw on Saturday, and Thomson said the reports were “very good.”
“We’re still plugging along,” Thomson said, “and it all depends on his strength and that type of thing, but all that being said, he’s doing well.”
With Wheeler doubtful to be in the rotation to start the season, that leaves an opening for Andrew Painter. The 22-year-old prospect was expected to make his major league debut last year, but he struggled with commanding his pitches in his first season back from Tommy John surgery and the call-up never materialized. Painter finished 2025 with a 5.26 ERA in 118 innings across single-A Clearwater and triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Dave Dombrowski said he saw Painter for the first time this year on Monday, and he looked “in really good shape.”
“He had stuff last year. He still threw hard last year. I’m looking for him to command his pitches better,” said Dombrowski, the team’s president of baseball operations. “ … I’ve talked to our people that have been with him and had a chance to watch him. He’s gone back to long toss, which he hadn’t always done in the past. He’s got his arm angle up a tick more, which they think will help him back to where he was before.”
Beyond Painter, the Phillies have thin rotation depth in the minor leagues, which could be an issue in the event of an injury to the staff. Three projected members of the rotation — Cristopher Sánchez (Dominican Republic), Aaron Nola (Italy), and Taijuan Walker (Mexico) — are also set to participate in the World Baseball Classic in March.
Dombrowski said the Phillies front office will continue to look for starting pitching depth as the spring begins.
“I do think that this is going to be a spring where you continue to have more trade conversations than you normally do during spring training,” Dombrowski said. “Just because of the late developing signing of players, which puts a focus on movement for other players when somebody signs.
“But when our scouts go out there, that’ll be one of our focuses. And we may develop that internally, too; there’s some guys that we do like. But that’ll be a focus of ours, is starting pitching depth.”
Veteran slugger Marcell Ozuna is heading to Pittsburgh.
The 35-year-old free agent has reached an agreement with the Pirates on a one-year deal worth $12 million, a person familiar with the agreement told the Associated Press on Monday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal is pending Ozuna passing a physical.
Ozuna would give the Pirates another experienced bat to potentially boost a lineup that was among the worst in the majors in 2025. The right-handed Ozuna hit .232 with 21 home runs and 68 RBIs last season for Atlanta.
Ozuna would make $10.5 million in 2026 and has a mutual club option for $16 million in 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout.
Pittsburgh previously acquired All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe and signed All-Star first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn during an unusually busy offseason for the club as it tries to give a young pitching staff anchored by reigning National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes some help.
Ozuna’s arrival could mean Pittsburgh is moving on from longtime franchise cornerstone Andrew McCutchen. The 39-year-old, five-time All-Star and 2013 NL MVP, who has spent 12 of his 17 seasons in the majors with the Pirates, remains unsigned after hitting .239 with 13 homers while serving primarily as the club’s designated hitter. McCutchen played for the Phillies from 2019 to 2021.
Ozuna is a three-time All-Star himself and a career .269 hitter in 13 seasons with Miami, St. Louis, and Atlanta. The native of the Dominican Republic has batted over .300 three times, most recently in 2024.
One of the few places where Ozuna has struggled is PNC Park, his potential new home. Ozuna is a career .225 hitter with just one home run in 36 games at the ballpark that has been historically difficult for right-handed hitters.
The Pirates are banking on Ozuna figuring it out to give a left-handed dominant lineup a little balance. Lowe, O’Hearn, and outfielder Oneil Cruz are lefties. Outfielder Bryan Reynolds is a switch-hitter.
The Pirates begin spring training when pitchers and catchers report to their complex in Bradenton, Fla, later this week.
Super Bowl LX will monopolize our attention Sunday as only the Big Game can. But once the buzzer sounds on Patriots-Seahawks, mitts will be poppin’ across Florida and Arizona.
With Phillies pitchers and catchers set for workouts beginning Wednesday in Clearwater, Fla., LX baseball notes:
I. Before the continuation of the “Is Bryce Harper still elite?” debate, another note from last season: Only one of the Phillies’ 43 biggest hits, based on Win Probability Added, belonged to Harper. He had four of their 13 biggest hits from 2019-24.
II. So, whatever you thought of Dave Dombrowski’s assessment that Harper “didn’t have an elite season like he has had in the past,” can we agree that 2025 was un-Bryce-like?
III. It’s probably giving Dombrowski too much credit to suggest he was being calculated. But the last time anyone publicly poked Harper, he homered twice in Game 3 of the 2023 division series and stared a hole through Braves shortstop “Attaboy” Orlando Arcia. A chip on Harper’s shoulder wouldn’t be the worst thing for the Phillies.
IV. Fact: Harper faced a lower rate of strikes (43%) than any hitter in baseball last season.
V. Another fact: Harper swung at 35.6% of pitches out of the strike zone, 129th among 144 qualified hitters and far above his career mark (29.3%), according to Statcast.
VI. It’s about Harper’s swing decisions, then, as much as lineup protection. “If he gets that [chase] number down to 32, just drop it 3%, now he’s swinging at better pitches, he’s going to do more damage,” hitting coach Kevin Long told The Inquirer’s Phillies Extra podcast. “The onus falls on me to make sure he’s swinging at the right pitches and him to make sure he’s not expanding. No matter what, he has to control his at-bats.”
Kyle Schwarber batted in front of Bryce Harper for most of last season, when he hit 56 homers and was runner-up for NL MVP.
VII. Still, don’t be surprised if Rob Thomson puts Kyle Schwarber behind Harper in the batting order. It was the other way around for most of last season.
VIII. A month before the Mets signed Bo Bichette — out from under the Phillies’ nose, by the way — they pushed hard for Schwarber, league sources said. The Phillies re-signed Schwarber to a five-year, $150 million contract, the biggest deal ever for a full-time designated hitter.
IX. Speaking of Bichette, set a calendar reminder for June 18-21, the Mets’ first visit to South Philly.
X. The Mets lost 18½ games in the NL East standings in 108 days, missed the playoffs, then overhauled the roster … and fans bemoaned not bringing back Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Edwin Díaz. The Phillies won another division title, had a bad week in October, then ran back the core of the roster … and fans bemoaned keeping the band together. Strange days.
XI. BetMGM set the Phillies’ over/under win total at 90.5. Same as the Mets’.
XII. July will be a big month for business at the corner of 11th & Pattison: Futures Game (July 12), Home Run Derby (July 13), All-Star Game (July 14), Mets (July 16-19), Dodgers (July 20-22), and Yankees (July 24-26).
XIII. Schwarber has 340 homers. If he hits 32 per year — and a work stoppage doesn’t wipe out part of the 2027 season — he would reach 500 homers before his new Phillies contract runs out in 2030.
XIV. Harper has 363 homers and would need to hit 23 per year to reach 500 before the expiration of his 13-year contract in 2031.
XV. Players who hit their 500th homer with the Phillies: Mike Schmidt, on April 18, 1987.
Zack Wheeler is recovering from thoracic outlet decompression surgery in September.
XVI. After being diagnosed with a blood clot in his upper right arm, Zack Wheeler had venous thoracic outlet decompression surgery in September. The recovery for a pitcher typically takes up to eight months, Thomson said, which would put Wheeler on a May timetable.
XVII. Bet on Wheeler to beat that projection. He began throwing from a mound this week, a source close to the 35-year-old righty said. The Phillies won’t push Wheeler, but he’s motivated to make as many starts as possible in what he has said will be his second-to-last season.
XVIII. Not every pitcher recovers at the same rate, but Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly had vTOS surgery in September 2020 and started Arizona’s second game of the 2021 season.
XIX. If Wheeler isn’t ready, top prospect Andrew Painter almost certainly will occupy a spot in the season-opening rotation. Painter, who turns 23 on April 10, could be the Phillies’ youngest starter since Ranger Suárez on Aug. 16, 2018 (22 years, 355 days).
XX.Justin Crawfordturned 22 on Jan. 13. If he makes the team out of camp, as expected, he will be the youngest position player on a Phillies opening-day roster since Freddy Galvis in 2012 and the youngest outfielder since Greg Luzinski and Mike Anderson in 1973.
XXI. Crawford’s ground-ball rate in triple A last season (59.4%) would’ve easily led the majors, topping Christian Yelich’s 56.7% mark.
XXII. But Crawford also would’ve ranked fifth with 67 bolts, defined by Statcast as sprints of at least 30 feet per second. (Trea Turner led the majors with 117 bolts.)
XXIII. Is it really so bad, then, that Crawford tends to hit a lot of balls on the ground? “Hopefully it doesn’t matter,” Lehigh Valley hitting coach Adam Lind said. “His approach works right now. He’s super fast. His swing works to where he can hit the ball all over the yard. Whenever a defender has to take one step away from first base, that usually means he’ll be safe.”
XXIV. Quiz: Crawford could be the Phillies’ eighth different opening-day center fielder in nine years. Name the others. (Answer below.)
XXV. Upon stepping down as Twins president last week, Derek Falvey cited ownership’s “different plan” for the team’s direction. If Minnesota enters a full rebuild, All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton would be widely coveted, including by the Phillies. Buxton, 32, has three years and $45 million left on his contract, plus no-trade rights.
XXVI. The Phillies’ projected luxury-tax payroll is $316.3 million, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, trailing the Dodgers ($402.5M), Mets ($376.6M), and Yankees ($335.5M). For a second consecutive year, the Phillies will pay a 110% tax on every dollar spent above $304 million, the highest of four thresholds.
XXVII. In 2025, the Phillies paid $56,062,903 in luxury taxes on a $314,329,912 payroll, the Associated Press reported. Their tax bill has risen from $2,882,657 in 2022, $6,977,345 in 2023, and $14,351,954 in 2024.
XXVIII. Owners will gather Wednesday in Palm Beach, Fla., for their quarterly meetings. Many owners are pushing for a salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement. The players’ union has historically opposed a cap. It would take eight of 30 owners to block a salary-cap proposal. The existing CBA expires Dec. 1, with a lockout likely to follow.
XXVIX. Last month, commissioner Rob Manfred told a New York radio station that MLB has discussed schedule changes, including an in-season tournament similar to the NBA Cup. The players would need to agree to any new formats.
XXX. The Phillies will send 11 players from their 40-man roster to the World Baseball Classic: Schwarber, Harper, and Brad Keller (U.S.); Cristopher Sánchez and Johan Rojas (Dominican Republic); José Alvarado (Venezuela); Taijuan Walker (Mexico); Aaron Nola (Italy); Garrett Stubbs and Max Lazar (Israel); Edmundo Sosa (Panama). Preliminary round games begin March 5, with the final set for March 17 in Miami.
XXXI.Jesús Luzardo was invited to pitch for Venezuela and Team USA but declined. “It’s very important for my family, for me, to represent Venezuela,” Luzardo told Phillies Extra. “But just in terms of intelligent decision-making, after a long last year and looking forward to a long this year, I thought the correct decision would be to take a slow spring training and make sure everything’s along the right line to be prepared for the year.” Luzardo is eligible for free agency after this season.
XXXII. Left-handed pitcher A: 3.59 ERA, 544 strikeouts, 1.287 WHIP, 117 ERA-plus in 588⅓ innings since 2022.
XXXIII. Left-handed pitcher B: 3.83 ERA, 602 strikeouts, 1.186 WHIP, 116 ERA-plus in 529⅓ innings since 2022.
XXXIV. Suárez (Lefty A) signed a five-year, $130 million contract with the Red Sox last month that will cover his ages 30-34 seasons.
XXXV. Luzardo (Lefty B) will pitch at age-28 this season.
XXXVI. Quiz answer: Brandon Marsh (2025), Rojas (2024), Marsh (2023), Matt Vierling (2022), Adam Haseley (2021), Roman Quinn (2020), Odúbel Herrera (2019), and Aaron Altherr (2018).
Jesús Luzardo posted a 3.92 ERA in a career-high 183⅔ innings in his first season with the Phillies in 2025.
XXXVII. Sánchez threw the most changeups (1,084) in baseball last season. Among 72 pitchers who threw at least 300, he ranked ninth in opponents’ batting average (.170) and slugging (.243) against his changeup.
XXXVIII. Changeup artist Cole Hamels on why Sánchez’s is so dominant: “One thing I’ve noticed is you cannot recognize the spin. It’s the same [as the two-seamer]. So, it’s a coin flip: Am I going to try to hit 97 [mph] with sink, or am I going to hit 87 with drop-off-the-table [action]? And he’s not scared to throw it in any type of count, with anybody on.”
XXXIX. By finishing second in the Cy Young voting last year, Sánchez’s club options for 2029 and 2030 increased by $1 million apiece to $15 million and $16 million.
XL. The automated ball-strike system is coming to MLB after being tested last year in spring training and the minors. Each team is allowed two challenges per game. Thomson prefers that challenges be initiated by the catcher or batters, with specific hitters getting a green light to challenge.
XLI. Opinions about ABS are varied. “There’s a human element pitchers like with umpires,” reliever Tanner Banks said last month. “Maybe you steal [a strike] because the catcher does a great job. But at the end of the day, you want consistency. The umpires I’ve talked to are for it if it helps make the right call.”
XLII. Imagine if the Phillies could’ve challenged umpire Mark Wegner’s missed strike call on Sánchez’s 2-2 pitch to Alex Call with one out in the seventh inning of Game 4 of last year’s NL division series. Call walked on the next pitch and scored the tying run. Sánchez said Wegner admitted that he got it wrong.
XLIII. A catcher’s game-calling is among the last skills that are largely immeasurable through analytics, which explains why it took so long for the Phillies and J.T. Realmuto to reach an agreement in free agency. At 35, amid three years of declining offense, Realmuto’s value is tied to his intangible impact on the pitching staff.
XLIV. Since 2023, opponents had a .682 OPS and Phillies pitchers had a 3.75 ERA with Realmuto behind the plate. The major-league averages were .722 and 4.18.
XLV. “In my opinion, catchers are undervalued as far as contracts and dollars go,” said Realmuto, who eventually accepted a three-year, $45 million offer. “I truly believe it’s one of, if not the most important position on the field, and I just enjoy fighting for that.”
XLVI. Quiz: Realmuto started a career-high 132 games behind the plate last season. In the last 80 years, how many catchers started that many games at age 34 or older? (Answer below.)
XLVII. Player A: .260/.306/.426, 121 doubles, 82 homers, 100 OPS-plus in 2,477 plate appearances.
XLVIII. Player B: .237/.296/.441, 118 doubles, 110 homers, 107 OPS-plus in 2,473 plate appearances.
LIX.Nick Castellanos (Player A) in four seasons with the Phillies (ages 30-33).
L.Adolis García (Player B) in the last four seasons with the Rangers (ages 29-32).
LI. Castellanos ranked last among all outfielders in defensive runs saved (minus-41) since 2022; Garcia was tied for ninth (plus-23).
LII.Bryson Stott lowered his hands, moved them closer to his body, and batted .294 with an .855 OPS after the All-Star break last season. It’s one reason Phillies officials are confident in running back almost the same lineup.
LIII. Here’s another: Marsh batted .303 with an .836 OPS after May 1.
LIV. If depth is a factor, and it usually is, the open seats in the bullpen could go to Rule 5 pick Zach McCambley and Zach Pop, who is out of minor league options. But Thomson is talking up Kyle Backhus, a lefty with a low arm slot who was acquired in a trade with Arizona.
LV. Righty-hitting outfielder Bryan De La Cruz will be in camp as a nonroster invitee after signing a minor-league contract in November. De La Cruz, 29, has major-league experience, mostly with the Marlins. He was MVP of the Dominican Winter League, batting .301 with eight homers and an .888 OPS in 46 games.
Chase Utley is getting closer to being elected to the Hall of Fame.
LVI. Lefty reliever Génesis Cabrera also will be in camp as a nonroster invitee. Once a promising reliever with the Cardinals, Cabrera hit Harper in the face with a 97 mph fastball in 2021. The Phillies will be his sixth team since 2024.
LVII. It’s clear that Chase Utley will eventually get elected to the Hall of Fame after reaching 59.1%, 68 votes shy of the requisite three-quarter majority, in his third year on the ballot. But will it take one more voting cycle or two for him to get to the 75% mark?
LVIII. The electorate changes each year, depending on how many writers join the process upon reaching 10 years of membership in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. But consider Carlos Beltrán’s path to election: 57.1% in 2024, 70.3% in 2025, and finally 84.2% this year. So, pencil in Utley for the Class of 2028 … and maybe book a hotel in Cooperstown for 2027 just in case.
LIX. Quiz answer: Six. Realmuto (2025), Yadier Molina (2017), Jason Kendall (2008), Tony Peña (1991), Elston Howard (1964), and Bob Boone (1982-86).
All 20 rosters for the World Baseball Classic were announced on Thursday night, and the Phillies are well-represented.
Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber will play for the United States under manager and Penn alum Mark DeRosa, joined by Brad Keller in the bullpen.
Schwarber represented the U.S. at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, helping the team win a silver medal. Harper had plans to play for the 2023 team as well, but withdrew after undergoing elbow surgery the previous winter.
“[Schwarber] was the chemistry guy for me, last time,” DeRosa said in December.
Cristopher Sánchez will join the Dominican Republic’s rotation, with outfielder Johan Rojas also named to the team.
The Phillies’ other participants include José Alvarado (Venezuela); Taijuan Walker (Mexico); Garrett Stubbs and Max Lazar (Israel); Edmundo Sosa (Panama); and Aaron Nola (Italy).
Several Phillies prospects were also named to rosters. Outfielder Dante Nori, the Phillies’ 2024 first-round selection and No. 6 prospect, will join Nola on Team Italy.
Pitching prospect Jaydenn Estanista will play for the Netherlands. Estanista had a 4.84 ERA in 44⅔ innings last season between high-A Jersey Shore and double-A Reading. Mitch Neunborn, who pitched for Reading and triple-A Lehigh Valley last year, will represent Australia.
Phillies prospect Dante Nori will represent Italy in the WBC.
Gabriel Barbosa was named to Brazil’s roster. Barbosa had a 3.62 ERA across three levels in the Phillies’ system in 2025, finishing the season in double A.
The Phillies will play an exhibition game against Team Canada in Clearwater, Fla. on March 4 before WBC pool play takes place March 5-10 in Tokyo, San Juan, Miami, and Houston.
The quarterfinals will be held on March 13 in Miami and Houston, while the semifinals and finals are March 15-17 in Miami.
Baseball is almost back. Spring training will officially start on Wednesday when pitchers and catchers are due to report to the Phillies’ facilities in Clearwater, Fla. Phillies writer Lochlahn March took to Reddit to answer all your questions before camp starts.
Here are a few highlights …
(Questions have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.)
The Phillies are expected to move on from Nick Castellanos going into the last year of his contract.
Q: Any surprises for the opening day roster? What moves are left before spring training?
A: The Phillies still need to find a resolution for Nick Castellanos. They’ve been open about finding a change of scenery for him, which should happen soon through a trade or release. Other than that, I think other additions before spring training, if any, would be depth minor-league signings.
As far as surprises, I think the battle for the last two bullpen spots could get interesting. The Phillies have some newcomers from trades, minor league signings, and a Rule 5 selection, who will all be in contention.
Q: Is Aidan Miller expected to be up this year?
A: It’s possible. After Trea Turner’s improvements defensively last year, I don’t see him moving off shortstop any time soon, but the Phillies are planning to get Miller some reps at other infield positions — third base and possibly some second — this spring.
If he starts this season the way he ended last season, I’d expect him to be at the top of the list in triple A in the event of an injury or other opening on the major league infield.
It’s important to remember that if Miller is on the major league team, he will be playing every day. He won’t be called up to sit on the bench, so even if the Phillies deem him ready, they will wait for the right opportunity.
Q: What does Crawford’s skill set and rookie season look like? Could he be the throwback leadoff hitter this team needs?
A: Lots has been made about Justin Crawford’s high ground-ball rate, and it remains to be seen how that will translate to the major league level, and whether his speed — which is one of his best attributes — can offset that. He’s an aggressive hitter and makes a lot of contact.
I would be very surprised to see him at leadoff to start the season. It’s already a lot of pressure to hand him the keys to the outfield, not to mention sticking him at the top of the order right away. It’s also a good thing to have a guy with that hitting profile who can steal a lot of bases in the lower half of the order to lengthen the lineup.
Q: What are the internal expectations for Jean Cabrera and Michael Mercado?
A: The Phillies have pretty thin starting depth in the minors at the moment, and Jean Cabrera would likely be one option in case of an injury to the rotation this year. Mercado is relief depth. He was non-tendered this winter but re-signed to a minor league deal. They both will be at major league camp next week, and I expect both to likely wind up in triple A.
Q: Who might be this year’s Weston Wilson/Kody Clemens/Brad Miller/Otto Kemp emerging role player type?
A: I think the Phillies hope Dylan Moore could occupy a similar role that Weston Wilson did last season, and he provides a ton of versatility defensively.
As far as emerging players, one name to keep an eye on is Gabriel Rincones Jr. The Phillies like the pop in his bat, but he has a real drawback at the plate against left-handed pitching. I could see him getting his feet wet in the majors at some point this year, but it would most likely have to be in a platoon role.
Q: Who do you expect to get an increased role on the team this season?
A: I’m going to go with Otto Kemp. His name is one that Dave Dombrowski has brought up a lot this offseason. I expect him to get a chance to play some more left field, probably as a platoon partner for Brandon Marsh. Kemp had some offseason surgeries to clean up his shoulder and address a bone fragment in his knee that he’d been playing through since June, but he should be ready to go for spring training. I’m interested in seeing what he can do when he’s fully healthy.
Q: On a scale of minor inconvenience to major life-altering issue, how concerned should we feel about Bryce Harper and his possible decline?
A: I think Bryce Harper is extremely motivated this season. He started hitting this winter earlier than he normally does — part of that is because he’s preparing to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, but I think there’s another part, too. His 2025 didn’t live up to his (very high) standards, and he’s an extremely competitive person. Also remember: He was dealing with a wrist injury for part of last season. I wouldn’t be concerned about a decline just yet.
Q: … Knowing Zack Wheeler won’t be ready for the start of the season, what are the odds he just retires before returning and we’ve already seen the last of him?
A: Wheeler has been open about expecting to retire at the end of his contract, which runs through 2027. It would be a major surprise if Wheeler didn’t return before then. His rehab this offseason by all accounts has been going well. The latest update from a couple of weeks ago was that he was throwing up to 90 feet.
Q: Will Garrett Stubbs be back as the third catcher in triple A?
A: This year, the backup catching battle isn’t as cut-and-dried, as Stubbs and Rafael Marchán are out of options. Whoever does not make the team will have to be designated for assignment and pass through waivers to report to triple A.
How do you live down a mistake that will stick with you for, well, probably forever? Laughing at yourself isn’t a bad place to start, at least after all the initial feelings and impulses — anger, disappointment, self-flagellation — washed over you.
When Phillies pitchers and catchers hold their first official workout Wednesday in Clearwater, Fla., it will have been 125 days since Kerkering bobbled a comebacker at his feet, tried to get an out at home instead of at first base, and lobbed it over Realmuto’s outstretched mitt, ending the Phillies’ season in the 11th inning of the fourth game of the division series.
It wasn’t the reason they lost to the Dodgers. It probably wasn’t even among the top 10 reasons. But it was only the second time ever that a playoff series ended on an error, and in the age of social media, clips of Kerkering’s blunder were everywhere.
Orion Kerkering’s errant throw to home plate ended the Phillies’ playoff run in Game 4 of the divisional round last season.
“No matter what you do, whether it’s the internet, just basic browsing — even looking up a recipe or something — it’s going to be there. It’s like the first thing,” Kerkering said this week on The Inquirer’s Phillies Extra podcast. “It’s going to always be brought up. You can’t get around it. It’s always going to be stuck there.
“But I don’t want it to like define who I am as a ballplayer in the future.”
It shouldn’t define Kerkering, who has already made 136 appearances in the majors despite not turning 25 until April. But relievers, like football kickers, tend to be remembered for their missteps. Ask Mitch Williams. Brad Lidge, too.
Kerkering faced his head-on. After the game, he stood before a wall of cameras and, with red and swollen eyes, broke down what happened. Then, rather than jetting off to an island in the middle of the ocean to get a respite from seeing his errant throw over and over, he stayed in South Jersey until the week before Thanksgiving.
“I thought it was just important to kind of embrace what happened a little bit and just try to be in the area and not run away from your problems,” Kerkering said. “Just trying to understand why everything happened and try to digest everything in that moment.”
Kerkering didn’t know how people who recognized him in Wawa or at the gym would react. He found it to be quite the opposite of Williams, who received death threats after the Joe Carter homer in 1993, and recently deposed Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, whose South Jersey house was egged in the midst of a December losing streak.
“It was just like, ‘Hey, you’re all good; we believe in you,’ and stuff like that,” Kerkering said. “What kind of took me off-guard is how many people, they know you messed up, they know you can do better next time, but how kind of supportive they are.”
Support came from other sources. Dave Dombrowski said the Phillies would offer the pitcher “whatever assistance he needs,” and Kerkering said the team’s mental health staff checked in on him. He heard from friends and former teammates and coaches.
At first, Kerkering avoided looking at his phone. But his dad, a sniper for 20 years in the Marines before becoming the emergency manager for the police department in Sarasota, Fla., has a saying that resonated.
“You’ve got to rip the Band-Aid off,’” Kerkering said. “It’s going to hurt, obviously. But the slower you do it, the more it’s going to be painful.”
After a week, Kerkering rewatched the play. He realizes now that he had more time than he thought after bobbling the ball and should’ve taken the easier out at first base. He has been told that he tends to rush things on the mound. It’s a flaw. It’s also correctable.
Lidge reached out, too, almost immediately. Although he and Kerkering hadn’t previously met, Lidge could relate. Three years before throwing the clinching pitch of the 2008 World Series for the Phillies, while with the Astros he gave up a crushing playoff homer to Albert Pujols. In 2009, he blew a save in the World Series against the Yankees.
“We had a good conversation, just kind of him explaining his experiences,” Kerkering said. “Everyone takes their time of getting over that hump. Some days are good, some days are bad. It’s how you get over that hump, even just in regular day-to-day life where it’s like, ‘What can you do to get over it?’
“Because it’s going to linger no matter what. But how can you internally fix it or fix that mindset moving forward?”
“We’ve all made mistakes. Mine just so happened to be in front of whatever, 10 million people,” says Orion Kerkering.
But Kerkering remains. He dominated in May and June, looking like a future closer. But the Phillies traded for star closer Jhoan Duran at the deadline in July, and Kerkering struggled through the summer. He regained his mojo late in the season and appeared in all four playoff games against the Dodgers.
“I don’t think I really had that good of a year,” said Kerkering, who finished with a 3.30 ERA in 60 innings. “It’s like, be more consistent with the heater, be more consistent with the sinker, get the sweeper back to what it was in ’23, ’24, how dominant it was, and kind of get more guys to swing.”
Team officials believe in Kerkering’s stuff. As important, they believe in his head.
Kerkering is aware of his reputation within the clubhouse as “a goofy kind of kid.” Former Phillies reliever Jeff Hoffman once described him as having “no filter” and keeping everyone on their toes with what comes out of his mouth next.
Teammates say Kerkering takes his job seriously, but not himself. So, rather than dwelling on a season-ending mistake, he’s intent on learning from it — and occasionally making light of it.
“You just kind of live and forget with it,” Kerkering said. “We’ve all made mistakes. Mine just so happened to be in front of whatever, 10 million people, between watching it, hearing about it around the whole country. However you want to look at it, it [stinks].
“But I think, just overall, it’s like, if that’s how someone wants to define you, then let them. But I’m not going to let it define me.”
When the Phillies report to spring training Wednesday, it will have been 125 days since last season ended on Orion Kerkering’s 11th-inning throwing error at Dodger Stadium. How does an athlete – even a major-league pitcher who is 24, with a gifted right arm and a long career ahead of him – move forward from something like that? Kerkering joined Phillies Extra to discuss the path back.
