PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies can’t stay quiet forever.
The Winter Meetings begin next week in Orlando, Fla. So far, the only players they’ve added to the 40-man roster since the end of the World Series are prospects Andrew Painter, Gabriel Rincones Jr. and Alex McFarlane and outfielder Pedro León, whom they claimed off waivers from Baltimore on Nov. 21.
That’s it.
Perhaps they pick up the pace in Florida.
Here’s what we’d like to see:
1) Clarity on Kyle Schwarber
What more can be said about the Phillies’ pursuit to re-sign Schwarber? They want him back. He wants to return. So far, the sides haven’t agreed on anything. Reports continue to pop up about other interested teams, but none of them make as much sense as Philadelphia. We still think Schwarber will re-sign with the Phils. Next week would be great, because it would allow the Phillies to move to the other items on their to-do list. The worst-case scenario for Philadelphia is that negotiations with Schwarber drag into 2026 as the Phillies’ Plans B, C and D fall off the board. If somebody else steps up and signs Schwarber next week, at least the Phillies will have options to replace him, like Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette.
2) Clarity on J.T. Realmuto
Realmuto is arguably No. 2 on the Phillies’ to-do list. If they don’t re-sign him, they’ll need to scramble to find a suitable replacement, unless they plan to move forward with some combination of Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs. The Red Sox have reportedly expressed interest in Realmuto, which is not a surprise: He has a tremendous reputation in the game. Any team looking for an extraordinary leader who knows how to call a game should be checking on him.
3) A surprise or two
If the Phillies bring back Schwarber and Realmuto, sources have said they’ll have little chance at signing another big-time free agent, but they can still get creative by making a trade or two. It would be something if Twins outfielder Byron Buxton waived his no-trade clause and the Phillies got him. That would be a game-changer. Even if Buxton is out of reach, some trades could bring a jolt to the clubhouse and fan base.