Philadelphia Phillies Must Monitor Three Major Stars With Expiring Contracts

The Philadelphia Phillies will have to watch two of their stars closely as they prepare for their contracts to run out.

Oct 5, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) rounds the bases after a solo home run against the New York Mets in the first inning in game one of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies have an important offseason this year, but they don't have to worry about many major contributors leaving the team.

That won't be the case next time around.

As it stands, a handful of stars are entering their last season under contract.

The Phillies will need to work out contract extensions, trade them away for prospects -- which will not happen -- or just decide to let them walk away in free agency after the upcoming campaign.

Although winning a championship this year will be the top priority, figuring out the plans for these players is not far behind.

DH Kyle Schwarber

Schwarber has been playing at a solid level for some time now, but he has grown into a true star since coming to Philadelphia.

He is averaging 44 home runs and 101 RBI a season with a .221/.344/.488 slash line. His batting average numbers for 2023, in which he hit for just .197, drag that down a little bit but that line is still impressive.

The 31-year-old was the only thing working on offense for portions of this last campaign, so it would certainly hurt for fans to watch a now-favorite player walk with a World Series still in their sights.

C J.T. Realmuto

Realmuto was the best catcher in baseball when the Phillies traded for him. He will be entering his seventh season in Philadelphia and, while he has certainly slowed down with age, he is still playing at a high level.

This past campaign was his worst since his rookie year, but he still put up a .266/.322/.429 slash line.

What the Phillies should be more worried about his is declining ability behind the plate.

He won't fetch the same price tag like he did last time, but he is just as important. There are no other clear answers at catcher in the sights for Philadelphia.

LHP Ranger Suarez

Suarez is an interesting case, but one that still ends with a player who deserves a contract.

For the first three months of the season, the southpaw was in Cy Young conversations when he posted a 1.83 ERA over his first 16 games.

The 11 contests that followed, though, he ran into trouble. His ERA jumped up to 6.54 during that stretch as he was plagued by injury.

Still, he was great in his lone postseason outing at least.

There is an influx of pitching talent already on the Phillies roster, but he should still be someone they target to bring back since, when he is on, he is one of the best pitchers in baseball.