Apr 12, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (11) scores a run during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Daniel Kucin Jr.
Tim Kelly and Anthony SanFilippo answer your Phillies questions during the latest OnPattison Mailbag.
@MissDMH801 on X: What do you make of this Harrison Bader post? Do you see it as a goodbye, or do you see it as something that we might be looking too deeply into, that he could resign, and it’s just a “thank you” post? (I want him back bc I don’t need uncertainty in our OF besides Marsh again)
Tim Kelly: I would just kind of take it for what it is. He really enjoyed his time with the Phillies in 2025. If that's it, he wanted to thank the fans.
Bader did decline his half of a $10 million mutual option for 2026, which was a no-brainer for him. He's going to get multiple years in free agency. Perhaps that will be from the Phillies, but since the start of the 2022 season, Bader has also played for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and Minnesota Twins. He's kind of a mercenary.
The post was a til next time, regardless of whether the next visit to Citizens Bank Park sees him enter the home or visitor's clubhouse.
Anthony SanFilippo: I view it a little differently. But only a little. I think some players are just really good at messaging. Bader is one of those guys. He leaves a mark. His attitude is infectious. His style is delightfully that of a throwback. His personality is off the charts.
He's been, as Tim called him, a mercenary - and for a reason. He's a good fit in any clubhouse because of his approach to the sport. But he hasn't won anywhere he's been so far, and that definitely continues to drive him. The Phillies represented as good a chance as any he would have in the league of doing that. He knows there is interest. He has interest in coming back, too. But, he wants to get paid, coming off a career year. Who can blame him? The Phillies are likely limited in just how far they can go with him considering other money they are clearly going to have to spend this offseason.
He'll take the pay day, whether it's here or somewhere else, but if he can put out a little social media post that gets the fans on his side for a possible reunion for a couple seasons — and the Phillies see that and feel that from their fanbase — maybe that gives that little extra nudge to get a deal done.
If not, he'll take his wares elsewhere. He's clearly the third best outfielder available in free agency besides Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger. He proved in his short time in Philly that he can still be a regular center fielder, which ought to make him a few more bucks in free agency.
He's going to get paid because there is such a dearth of talented outfielders available. Especially right-handed hitting outfielders. Especially right-handed hitting center fielders. He'd just prefer to collect his bag with a team that has a shot at winning it all. So why not pander a little bit to try to make that come to fruition?
@Kevin_Seamus on Threads: How can the Phillies change their perception among Japanese players? Will there ever be a point where Philly can be a desirable local for Asian talent as the past has been dicey at best?
Tim Kelly: There's not an easy answer to this. Obviously, the Phillies are at a geographic disadvantage in the sense that West Coast cities like Los Angeles and Seattle are closer to Japan and South Korea, and have larger Asian populations, making assimilation easier.
Obviously, money is a way to change the perception, but that only goes so far if multiple teams are interested.
The best thing they can do is meet with every notable Japanese and South Korean player that gets posted, and try to acquire veterans already in the league from one of those two countries. And when you acquire an Asian player, make them feel as comfortable as possible so they will put in a good word for you if someone in the future asks what it was like playing in Philadelphia.
The Phillies are never going to be the Dodgers in terms of consistently attracting Japanese superstars, but they need to get on the board.
Munetaka Murakami offers latest opportunity for Phillies to enter Japanese market
[image or embed]— Tim Kelly (@timkellysports.bsky.social) November 7, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Anthony SanFilippo: Tim is right, but just to add on to that, the Phillies have made a strong commitment over the past couple seasons to establish themselves in the Asian baseball market. They've invested money in getting boots on the ground in both Japan and South Korea. They have shown a sheer determination in kicking the door down and proving that they, too, can be a desirable destination for Asian players.
And they would be, but the West Coast bias is very real and a very high hurdle to traverse. If I were ruler of the baseball world, I would eliminate the way business is done with international players and force teams to draft their rights. And while these players could chose to stay in Japan or South Korea if they didn't want to play for the team that drafted them, in time, the lure of playing in the MLB would win out and most players would eventually capitulate.
But I also know that's not going to happen, so why belabor it?
So, in lieu of that, the Phillies just need to hit on one guy who's not reluctant to come East. And once that happens, they can establish themselves as that destination location that would be attractive to Asian ballplayers for years to come.
Early in free agency, the majority of interest in Bo Bichette is at shortstop.
Other teams with incumbent shortstops have expressed interest in him at second base or third base.@MLBNetwork
@Pbraxmeier on X: Bo Bichette - is there any interest from the #Phillies? Chances of getting it done?
Tim Kelly: I know this is something Jim Salisbury has opined about on "The Phillies Show," and it's hard not to be interested in someone that led the American League in hits in both 2021 and 2022, and probably would have again this year if not for a September injury. With Bichette and the 2025 version of Trea Turner in the same lineup, the Phillies would have two guys who make a ton of contact in the top four hitters in the lineup.
Defensively, Bichette has never impressed me as a shortstop, and his minus-19 career defensive runs saved at the position back that up. But he played second base in the World Series thanks to his bad knee, and that might wind up being his long-term landing spot. Third base could also be a possibility. Teams will get creative if it means adding 190 hits a season to their lineup.
The reality is that Bichette — who will play next season at 28 — is probably going to blow by the seven-year/$175 million deal his former teammate Marcus Semien got with the Texas Rangers to play second base four offseasons ago. I'm skeptical the Phillies would both re-sign Schwarber and do that type of deal to lure Bichette, but they would have a hell of an offense if they could.
Anthony SanFilippo: As good a player as he is, I just don't see the fit. Ultimately, I think Bichette is a DH.
As Tim pointed out, he was not a good fielding shortstop, and you aren't moving Turner any time soon. He played second base in the World Series, but that was the first time in his career at that position, and the Blue Jays did it out of necessity to get his bat in the lineup. Keep in mind, he only started four of the games at second base, and was removed in three of them. He pinch hit in Game 2 and DH'd the other two games. Oh, and the Phillies aren't likely to move on from Bryson Stott, especially after he resurrected his season in July and hit .294 after making a change to his swing mechanics.
Bichette's never played third base. Can he? Is that an experiment worth trying when you already have average, at best, defense at third and there's no track record to Bichette being good defensively in the game? What if he's not good there? Then what do you do?
And then, of course, there's the money. With the Phillies having other big money priorities they are looking to rectify this winter, I can't see a way that they would add this monster contract as well.
@Tiara1023 on X: Depending on which players remain, do you juggle the lineup for next season? I think Harper should bat 2nd or 5th
Tim Kelly: In some senses, that comes down to the willingness of Bryce Harper to move out of the No. 3 hole, where he prefers to hit. He'll see more pitches if he hits second and has Schwarber behind him. But will Harper want to do that, and if the Phillies roll with that, will Schwarber be pitched around?
I definitely would not bat Harper lower than third, but it does feel like either him or Schwarber is doomed to not see as many pitches if the Phillies don't find a better solution at cleanup hitter. Will that be Pete Alonso, Kyle Tucker or Alex Bregman? Probably not if Schwarber is back. So Dave Dombrowski might need to find someone not currently being paid like a cleanup hitter that's able to fill that void.
Anthony SanFilippo: I joined the Phillies beat as a regular member of the media in 2022. And Tim will tell you, our cadre of colleagues who sit on our side of the press box are likely tired of hearing me say the Phillies best leadoff option on the team is Bryce Harper.
I think the Phillies quietly know that too, but they also want to cater to their superstar as much as they can. Is that the right way to operate? Eh, that's another question for another mailbag. So, as long as we're in the business of appeasing Harper, and as long as he wants to lock in as the No. 3 hitter, then the Phillies need to figure out the best lineup construction around him.
Mad props to Turner for what he did out of the leadoff spot in 2025, but I still think he's too much of a free swinger for that spot. We've seen how productive Schwarber was as a leadoff hitter in the past, but he had the best season of his life hitting second last season, so why change that, assuming he's back?
So, unfortunately the answer, as Tim said, is find the cleanup hitter — which may be easier said than done.
