October 19, 2026
Eric Hartline/Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
The Phillies are tethered to their big contract guys for a very long time.
The NL pennant-winning Milwaukee Brewers have a payroll of $154 million this season. They'll likely be facing the Tampa Bay Rays from the AL in the World Series, a roster that cost $113 million.
Looking ahead to 2027, the Phillies are already on the hook to pay nine players over $217 million combined — not including the 17 other players they'll need to fill out a 26-man roster.
There's a lot of time remaining between now and the start of the next regular season. Is there a chance the Phillies could move any of that salary off their books? Could they get younger? Replenish the farm system? Or swap for a player in a position of need from a position of depth and strength?
The answer to all of those theoretical questions is almost certainly no. And we'll explain why in just a minute.
As we continue our post-season Phillies Stay or Go series, we'll look at the immovable contracts. As always, please give us your take at the bottom of the story.
MORE STAY OR GO: Bullpen arms | Alec Bohm | Luis Arráez | Brandon Marsh
Adolis Garcia | Bryson Stott | Edmundo Sosa | Dave Dombrowski | Don Mattingly
We've grouped this trio together because they have something in common. Okay, maybe more than one thing. In addition to them aging out of their primes in front of our very eyes, they each have giant contracts that cannot be moved. Literally.
Harper, Turner and Nola each have a no-trade clause — which means they cannot be traded without full approval. It's a complicating factor that, in addition to how unappealing their contracts might be to a receiving team in a trade, it's probably not realistic that any of them get moved. They're all coming back — like it or not.
Harper is expected to return to first base next season, while Turner's position could be a fluid situation after his lack of defense at shortstop was called out by Dave Dombrowski last week. Nola showed pretty good stretches in 2026 and will be back in the rotation in 2027.
We progress from three players who cannot be moved to three the Phillies do not want to move. The contracts are huge, but they're actually worth the cash. Each of these three starting pitchers is going to find himself in the top 10 in Cy Young voting come November — and it's probable that all three finish in the top five. It's safe to assume the Phillies want to retain three of the five best pitchers in the National League.
The Phillies are hoping Wheeler's 2027 season is not his last in the majors, while both Sánchez and Luzardo are just starting extensions they signed in previous offseasons.
Aside from a shocking decision by the Phillies to trade from an area of strength, in order to get some kind of superstar outfield bat in a rare MLB player-for-player trade, there's really no scenario where any of these arms are even considered as trade chips.
Schwarber is probably in the same category as Wheeler, Sánchez and Luzardo. He signed a new deal with the Phillies last offseason, he's the centerpiece of their offense, and as the reigning NL co-home run king, he's probably better than almost anyone else they could trade him for.
We'll include him in the poll below for the sake of thoroughness, but you're crazy if you're voting for Schwarber to go.
This one's sort of tricky. Realmuto signed a new deal last offseason and the Phillies won't be trading him. He's a key cog in their successful starting rotation and even with his offense evaporating, he's still better than a lot of catchers out there — at age 35.
Dombrowski spoke about Realmuto in his season-ending press conference, stating that they are going to try and decrease the 984 innings (third in MLB) Realmuto spent behind the plate in 2026 at age 35.
There actually could be some value in the form of decent prospects available if the Phillies wanted to trade Realmuto, but their in-house replacements — Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs — are leaps and bounds worse. And there's not much available on the free agent market, which is why the Phillies overpaid for him last winter.
Realmuto is the best the Phillies can get to catch, and things could definitely be much worse.
Keller was the team's big bullpen signing last offseason and he was a non-factor, pitching to a mediocre 4.08 ERA over 31.1 innings before he was shut down in July for Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow.
It doesn't seem likely the team would be able to trade a pitcher who is actively rehabbing from surgery, and there's a chance he is never healthy enough to pitch again for the Phils on this current contract. This sort of muddies the waters for the stay or go poll below because, let's be honest, it would probably be unanimous that fans want him gone.
But let's do our best here. Given the reality of the facts and details at hand, do you still want the Phillies to try and trade any of the following players?
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