Phillies mailbag pt. 2: Zack Wheeler, pitching depth, Aidan Miller and more
Here’s part 2 of Phillies Nation’s mailbag with Destiny Lugardo and Ty Daubert. Thank you again for submitting your offseason questions and concerns on social media.
– Only time will tell but I see the recovery of Zack Wheeler and his ability to be healthy and pitch as a number one starter as the biggest concern? I think the season will hinge on him coming back strong. – Barry Miller on Facebook
This is a huge storyline that is probably not getting enough attention. The Phillies and Wheeler can express as much optimism as they’d like about the rehab process, but nobody really knows what kind of pitcher he will be post-surgery once he gets on the mound. The assumption here is that there will be some bumps in the road, but if Wheeler is able to pitch like an ace again by the end of the season, that alone is a huge boost to the team’s World Series odds. New Phillies reliever Brad Keller admitted he rushed his TOS recovery in 2024 and did not begin to feel like himself until the All-Star break.
The good thing is that the Phillies can reasonably count on Cristopher Sánchez to continue carrying the rotation. Jesús Luzardo is also capable of pitching like an ace. They’ll need more from Aaron Nola after an extremely disappointing season. Andrew Painter is more of a wild card. With Wheeler making $45 million this year and next, there will be pressure for him to perform right away, but what they really need is volume early and for the stuff to peak in October. – Destiny Lugardo
– The Phillies used to have the infrastructure to withstand SP injury issues (even if they rarely actually happened). I’m sure they will sign a Kolby Allard type or two before the season but am very concerned about what happens if two of their key starters are out at the same time. — @sixersadam on X
It’s not all that long ago that the 2024 Phillies faced serious depth issues as none of the aforementioned Allard, Tyler Phillips or Taijuan Walker won the quiet tournament for the No. 5 spot in the rotation after Spencer Turnbull went down. Maybe if they had a better fifth starter down the stretch that year, the club could have made a run for the top seed in the National League and avoided the Mets in the Division Series. It’s a smaller, regular-season problem since a team only needs three or four starters in October, but it can make a difference.
The Phillies have a strong trio of starters for 2026 with Sánchez, Luzardo and Wheeler, but Wheeler is probably poised to start the season late. Nola is something of a wild card after his disappointing 2025 season. Same goes for prospect Andrew Painter. Walker was a serviceable swingman last year and will likely spend at least some time in the rotation, too.
After that group, Alan Rangel and Jean Cabrera are on the 40-man roster. Left-hander Tucker Davidson and righty Bryse Wilson will be in camp with the Phillies. They could afford to sign or trade for more insurance. Not that he was the most durable, but the operation will be tougher to piece together without a former All-Star in Ranger Suárez. While the Phillies’ rotation certainly has elite upside, a couple of injuries could hit them pretty hard unless someone steps up or they add to the mix. – Ty Daubert
– Why does the team wear Mets uniforms on Friday nights? – Corey Keller on Facebook
I wouldn’t say the Phillies’ City Connect uniforms feel like Mets jerseys to me, but they still miss the mark, in my opinion. They certainly have their fans, and plenty of people wear the blue and gold in the stands at Citizens Bank Park. But like most of the City Connects across Major League Baseball, they feel out of place. It’ll be interesting to see what potential redesigns could be coming in the future. – Ty Daubert
– I still believe in this team always.. what are your realistic expectations for the team this year? – @antpierandozzi on X
They are a playoff team, but not as good of a regular season team as they were last season. I don’t see the Braves or Mets both having an outlier type of year again, so the division race should be a lot more fun. The Phillies will continue to be a good team carried by the rotation with a good, but inconsistent offense. The biggest gains will be in the bullpen, with Jhoan Duran on board for the entire season and much better depth behind him. How far the Phillies advance will depend on how the field shakes up. If the Dodgers once again maximize the health of their starting staff heading into October, nobody is getting past them and we’ll be heading into next year talking about another Phillies early postseason exit. – Destiny Lugardo
The Phillies will largely look the same as they did last year. They’ll mix in some young players like Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter. The starting pitching has some bigger question marks. But for the most part, it’ll be pretty similar. That should lead to another winning season, probably putting the club over the 90-win mark again. But with the Braves healthier and the Mets better, the Phillies could have trouble defending their two consecutive National League East titles in a tough division. But as Philadelphia knows, it’s certainly possible to make a run in October as a wild-card team, just as it’s possible to flame out as a division winner. It’ll be up to the core to come through in the postseason, something it hasn’t done the last couple of years. – Ty Daubert
– Do you think that Aidan Miller will be called up this year? And why all the love for Otto Kemp, will he be fighting for a spot this spring training? – @shaqtonian on X
Miller may be the one who decides the answer to that first question. The former first-round pick had a slow start to the year at Double-A in 2025, but he soared in the last two months to earn a promotion to Triple-A. If Miller keeps hitting, stealing bases and knocking on the door for Lehigh Valley, he could play his way into the major leagues if there’s an injury in the infield or someone like Alec Bohm or Bryson Stott struggles. The Phillies don’t have to force Miller up on Opening Day, but there’s a path if he looks the part and the lineup could use a midseason jolt.
Kemp seems like he’ll occupy a bench spot and platoon with Brandon Marsh in left field against lefties. The Phillies have hyped up Kemp repeatedly this offseason. He’s a tough young former Division II player who destroyed Triple-A pitching last year and helped out in the big leagues. But if the team could find someone with more experience in left field and a longer track record against left-handers to pair with Marsh, it could be an upgrade. – Ty Daubert
– How do you see the bench filling out? Kemp and Sosa are locks and one of either Stubbs/Marchan but after that I don’t see much to instill confidence. – Brad Smith on Facebook
Assuming everyone stays healthy, there’s one more bench spot left. The easy answer is Johan Rojas, but the Phillies already have two center fielders on the projected Opening Day roster in Marsh and Crawford and Rojas has minor league options remaining. Maybe that roster spot is for a different fourth outfielder, preferably a right-handed hitting one. Randal Grichuk was linked to the Phillies earlier this offseason by The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. Miguel Andujar had a great second half with the Reds last year, but comes with defensive limitations. The Dominican Winter League MVP Bryan De La Cruz, a right-handed hitting outfielder, is also in camp with the Phillies. Gabriel Rincones Jr. is probably not an option unless there is a path for him to get regular at-bats against right-handed pitching. – Destiny Lugardo
– Do you think there’s a defensive outfield bench option that the Phillies should target as a late game replacement? Is Johan Rojas that guy? Or does Rojas stay in AAA to keep getting reps to try and make it as a big league hitter? – @_morgan_bruce on X
There are few better than Rojas when it comes to potential late-game defensive replacements. Maybe the Phillies carry Rojas on the bench if they want to try out Crawford in center, but have some concerns about the glove. Rojas was OK at the plate last year in Triple-A. Maybe the everyday reps in Triple-A are better for his development in the long run, but he’s unfortunately starting to run out of time. He’ll likely only get an extended opportunity with the Phillies this year if an injury occurs. – Destiny Lugardo
– I wish there was closer parking for persons with a handicap hangtag. It is too far for my husband to push me in a wheelchair. – Julia Hamm on Facebook
I’m not an expert at parking around Citizens Bank Park, but I have noticed that the closest wheelchair accessible spots are near the left field gate in lots V and R on Phillies Drive. Otherwise, the walk across the street to the gates could be pretty rough if you’re pushing a wheelchair. Hang in there, Mr. Hamm. — Destiny Lugardo
– Bring back dollar dog night enough of the BOGO nonsense. Also rolls were stale last year, unacceptable. – Toni Julia on Facebook
Stale hot dog rolls are depressing. I’m all for the return of dollar dog nights. The BOGO nights have no aura. What rubs me the wrong way about this is that the team cited fan behavior as part of the reason why they got rid of the promotion. It’s really all about the bottom line and the fact that Aramark is unable to handle the very long concession lines. They’ll probably bring back dollar dog night once they struggle to break 20,000 fans in attendance on a weeknight in April. — Destiny Lugardo