Phillies face an uncertain future following their 4th straight playoff exit

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Orion Kerkering airmailed a throw into the Los Angeles night that not only unimaginably ended the Phillies’ season — it all but ended the run of the core of a roster that suffered through four straight postseasons without a World Series title.

NL home run and RBI champion Kyle Schwarber, veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto and rotation stalwart Ranger Suárez are all free agents. Outfielder Harrison Bader, who raised his value with a dynamite two months with the Phillies, has a mutual option he is sure to decline.

And what about manager Rob Thomson? Thomson has guided the Phillies through four playoff berths in his four seasons in charge. He led them to the 2022 World Series (where they lost to Houston) and the Phillies did just win their second straight NL East title.

The ring is the thing and the Phillies fell shy again of winning their first championship since 2008. That failure could weigh heavily on managing partner John Middleton and team president Dave Dombrowski’s call to bring back Thomson for a fifth season or start fresh with a new manager and a roster makeover after years of essentially running it back with the same core.

The Phillies could lose valuable pieces to more than just free agency in the offseason.

What will they do with right fielder Nick Castellanos —- who has one year left on the five-year, $100 million deal signed ahead of the 2022 season — who seemed unhappy and cited personal issues with Thomson after losing his starting job late in the season?

José Alvarado has a club option for 2026 but are the Phillies really keen on keeping the left-hand reliever who served an 80-game suspension and was left off the postseason roster for violating baseball’s performance-enhancing drugs policy?

The real question that has haunted the Phillies in each of the last three playoff years is this: How do the Phillies — with a $291.7 million payroll — snap out of the same October pattern of frigid bats from their highest-priced players that doomed them again against the Dodgers?

Kerkering’s errant throw was only the final shovel of dirt on a playoff hole dug deep by a collapse at the plate from Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner. Harper and Turner aren’t going anywhere and top minor league prospects such as starting pitcher Andrew Painter, outfielder Justin Crawford and infielder Aidan Miller are on the brink of joining the big leagues.

So what’s next?

Does Thomson get another season?

The 62-year-old Thomson is on the short list of greatest managers in franchise history. Outside of Castellanos, Thomson is generally well-liked and highly-regarded inside the clubhouse. His decision-making had some hits — such as the Aaron Nola-Suárez pitching combo in Game 3 — and misses — a rally-killing Bryson Stott in the the ninth inning of Game 2 — in the NL Division Series. He’s 346-251 (.580) in the regular season and that kind of record usually doesn’t get managers fired.

Whiffing his way down the postseason ladder —- losing in the 2022 World Series; the 2023 NL Championship Series and two straight defeats in the NLDS — raises some concern about Thomson’s job security.

“It’s out of my control,” Thomson 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.”

Harper — who has six years left on his 13-year, $330 million contract — and Turner both stumped for Thomson to return.

Yes, they both like the affable Canadian. Yet, there’s a tinge of guilt that their postseason slumps are the bulk of the reason why the Phillies are home empty-handed in October.

Turner went 4-for-17 with no homers and three RBIs in the NLDS while Schwarber went 3-for-16 (with two homers in Game 3) and Harper was just 3-for-15 with no home runs and no RBIs. Throw out Game 3’s offensive outburst, and Turner-Schwarber-Harper went a combined 3-for-35 in the series. Castellanos, Stott and outfielder Max Kepler all hit under .200 in the series.

“I love Topper, man. He’s done a great job for us,” Harper said. “That’s a Dombrowski question. But obviously, we love Topper in here. He’s been great for us.”

Thomson is signed through next season. But there’s always a fall guy and it’s possible the Phillies part ways with hitting coach Kevin Long.

Should they stay or should they go?

Schwarber has emerged as the heart of the clubhouse and has about topped Harper as the face of the franchise over his four wildly-successful seasons.

He’s going to command a lot of years and a lot of money — a lot of money — on the open market. He hit 46, 47, 38 and a career-high 56 homers this season. Schwarber turns 33 before next season and the Phillies can’t be sure his power will hold up deep into a potential long-term contract.

But can they afford the short-term power and popularity hits if they let him walk?

Schwarber fought back tears after the Game 4 loss as he pondered not only the end of the season but his crucial offseason decision.

“You just make a lot of different relationships in the clubhouse,” Schwarber said. “You don’t know how it’s going to work out. You just make so many personal relationships with these guys … They become family. You just never know. These guys all know how I feel about them. This is a premier organization and a lot of people should be very lucky that, one, you’re playing for a team that tries to win every single year and you have a fan base that cares and ownership that cares.”

Realmuto bristled at reporters in Los Angeles that asked about his future, saying, “I’m not here to talk about free agency, dude. Don’t ask that question right now.”

Castellanos said he would tend to a left knee injury suffered in July before he made decisions about his future.

Either way, the Phillies are still talented and deep enough to make the playoffs in 2026.

No decisions will change the sting of another playoff series loss.

“Sometimes, baseball just happens,” Turner said. “It’s a bad answer and not what people want to hear. That’s why this game is so hard.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB