Phillies camp opens with key questions still unanswered originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Let’s turn the page. Super Bowl Sunday has come and gone and we’re under 48 hours from pitchers and catchers reporting to Clearwater.
The Phillies have answered most regular-season questions the past two years. Their underwhelming performances in October, though, are the reason the spotlight is brighter heading into camp.
How soon can Wheeler affect the rotation?
The Phillies’ rotation hasn’t been a concern in what feels like years, but the uncertainty around this staff starts with Zack Wheeler’s health. The 35-year-old has begun throwing from 90 feet and is on track within his recovery timeline, but there’s still no real feel for when exactly he’ll toe the slab in 2026.
Manager Rob Thomson told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Spencer McKercher that Wheeler will be eager to push to get on the mound as soon as possible because he wants to achieve his goals this season. If Wheeler is able to return after just the first month of the season, it will be interesting to see whether the Phillies dig into their organization for starting pitching depth or look to sign a one-year flier such as Walker Buehler.
Two seasons ago, on Super Bowl Sunday, they signed right-handed starter Spencer Turnbull to a one-year, $2 million deal, which proved crucial when Taijuan Walker was shut down with a shoulder injury in late March. Wheeler’s timeline could dictate whether Dave Dombrowski stands pat or not.
Can Crawford handle center field defense right away?
We know he has the speed, but playing big-league center field could prove to be a challenge for the 22-year-old rookie. Over the past three seasons, the Phillies have gotten strong production defensively from their center fielders. Since 2023, they rank seventh in the Majors in defensive runs saved (18), ninth in defensive runs above average with a positional adjustment (22.1) and 10th in outs above average (28).
Advanced metrics aren’t as accessible in the Minors, so drawing a firm evaluation on Justin Crawford is tricky. He’s been praised for his instincts and athleticism, traits that strong defensive center fielders tend to carry. The Phillies are putting a lot of trust in Crawford to take over the position, and he’d be one of the youngest players to start there on Opening Day in years. If he were to struggle, the Phillies could turn to Brandon Marsh or Johan Rojas, but that’s far from what the club prefers.
Who hits cleanup and provides pop?
Lineup protection for Bryce Harper was a major offseason talking point, and so was right-handed pop. The club responded by bringing in free-agent outfielder Adolis García on a one-year deal.
The four-hole for the Phillies in 2025 was underwhelming. Cleanup hitters ranked 20th in the Majors in both slugging (.408) and OPS (.720). It was their first season since 2022 where the spot did not drive in 100 runs. Nick Castellanos carried a bulk of those plate appearances and slugged just five homers in 214 plate appearances, posting a .651 OPS.
The Phillies are hopeful García can return to his 2022-23 form in Texas, when he was one of the game’s most feared power hitters, and slide into that cleanup spot. A cold spring could push the Phillies to hit Kyle Schwarber fourth, who registered a .955 OPS there in 2025. Pop in the heart of the order could really help the club stay among the best teams in baseball.
Can the Phillies stabilize the bridge to the ninth?
One of the unsung struggles of the 2025 club was middle relief and the bridge to the ninth inning. When the Phillies acquired Jhoan Duran at the deadline, it masked that hole. From innings six through eight last season, Phillies relievers posted a 4.50 ERA, the seventh-highest in baseball, and allowed the fourth-highest opponent slugging (.425).
Signing Brad Keller this offseason should help. He’s a versatile reliever — and a former starter — who can get more than three outs in an outing when needed. Thomson will be able to play matchups with his pair of lefties in Tanner Banks and José Alvarado, plus righty Orion Kerkering, but after a number of 40-man adds to the bullpen, how the group rounds out remains to be seen.
Jonathan Bowlan, Zach McCambley, Zach Pop and Kyle Backhus will be in the mix, and what they look like over a full camp will matter.
Is Painter’s command big-league ready?
The repertoire is there for Andrew Painter. So is the frame at 6-foot-7, 215 pounds. But strike-throwing is a fair concern entering the season. Getting ahead of hitters will be one of the first things to watch because Painter posted an abysmal 48.8 first-pitch strike rate in 2025.
To give the Phillies’ top pitching prospect the benefit of the doubt, he had not thrown a pitch in a Minor League game in two years because of Tommy John surgery, and the Triple-A baseball is physically different than a big-league ball because of its laces, making it more challenging to locate pitches.
Painter’s secondary pitches — most notably his curveball — will help tell the story of whether he can get big-league outs, but fastball command is what opens the door for everything else. With Wheeler’s health uncertain and Ranger Suárez now with the Red Sox, the Phillies are hopeful Painter can become a fixture in the rotation.
How does the Castellanos situation resolve?
At this rate, it seems highly unlikely that the Phillies will find a trade partner for the 33-year-old. Two potential fits were Pittsburgh — which signed designated hitter Marcell Ozuna on Monday — and San Diego — which signed Miguel Andújar to fill that role last week.
A team like the Marlins could make sense, but with the Phillies holding zero leverage in any talks because of Castellanos’ $20 million contract this season, it’s more likely he’s designated for assignment, clears waivers and signs elsewhere.
He could still be a regular player, particularly as a designated hitter, in 2026. It would be surprising to see teams that missed out on middle-of-the-order right-handed bats pass on him at nearly league-minimum salary. One thing is certain: he won’t be in a Phillies uniform.
