4 Gifts Philadelphia Phillies Should Want for Christmas

Here are four things the Philadelphia Phillies should have on their Christmas wish list this year.

May 12, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos, right, is congratulated by Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Alec Bohm after his three-run home run in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies increased their win total for the sixth consecutive time when playing a full 162-game season. But, their shortcomings in the playoffs have the front office seeking to shake things up.

After losing in the World Series in 2022, the Phillies have seen their stay in October shorten the following two years.

In 2023, they blew a 3-2 lead in the NLCS, at home, to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and just a few months ago, the New York Mets eliminated them in the NLDS.

While still a contender in the National League, the window for their current core to contend is slowly closing as a majority of them are on the wrong side of 30.

What can be done to help keep Philadelphia near the top of baseball?

These four things on their Christmas wish list this year would help keep their championship aspirations alive.

Nick Castellanos Trade

The Phillies have never been afraid to spend money, which is part of the reason whey they are in the predicament they are in right now.

Making a splash this offseason was complicated because even they had a cap on spending.

If they want to make more additions, they can try moving some salary off the roster, such as shipping their starting right fielder out of town. Nick Castellanos doesn’t have much value given the money owed and his inconsistent production, but they could flip him for another albatross contract to try and fill another gap.

Continued Health for Andrew Painter

Philadelphia’s top pitching prospect has not been on the mound during the season since 2022 because of elbow issues. He was able to return to the field for the Arizona Fall League and was excellent.

There have been reports about what the Phillies plan to do with Andrew Painter in 2025 with Dave Dombrowski stating they are going to take things slowly.

That is achievable given the depth they have for their starting rotation.

There is no reason to rush him, but they should be wishing for improved health for the talented righty.

Alex Bregman

There have been rumors swirling that Philadelphia had All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm on the trading block this offseason. He has reportedly been taken off, but maybe talks will take off again if they get in on the Alex Bregman sweepstakes.

Bregman would bring the team another player with championship experience and likely be an upgrade over Bohm, whose production fell off in the second half.

It won’t be cheap to land him, but the team hasn’t made what many fans would constitute a “major” move this offseason.

Scott Boras has hinted something could be coming from Dombrowski before Spring Training arrives, and Bregman would certainly constitute such.

Bullpen Help

The Phillies had two of their key bullpen pieces hit free agency this winter; Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez.

The reliever market has been slow-moving and both players remain available.

It is incredibly unlikely they bring back the duo, but retaining at least one would make a lot of sense. To this point, the only addition to that unit has been Jordan Romano, who underwent surgery in July on his elbow.

He was one of the best relievers in baseball from 2021-2023, earning a spot on the All-Star team twice.

But, he cannot be the only addition the team makes if they don’t bring back Hoffman and Estevez.