Phillies offseason preview: Futures of Schwarber, Realmuto, and time for a youth movement?

Back to you, Dave Dombrowski.

Ten weeks after winning the trade deadline with moves for a star closer and scrappy center fielder, Dombrowski waded through the visitors’ clubhouse at Dodger Stadium, patting players’ shoulders and shaking hands after the Phillies’ season ended with a “thud,” as manager Rob Thomson put it, in Game 4 of the divisional round.

In the end, they weren’t good enough after all.

» READ MORE: Phillies players ‘love Topper,’ but history shows replacing Rob Thomson might be the easier way to make a change

Maybe it was the matchup. If the Phillies faced any team other than the defending World Series champion Dodgers, with their $415 million luxury-tax payroll and boundless talent, maybe they would still be playing this week in the National League Championship Series.

“It’s a really good team,” Bryce Harper said. “We went toe-to-toe, pretty heavyweight fight, back and forth, and they came out on top.”

Or maybe, after scoring a total of seven runs in the three playoff losses, there were too many holes in the Phillies’ lineup and not enough arms in the bullpen.

It’s time, then, once again, for Dombrowski to huddle with his inner circle, meet with owner John Middleton, and come up with a plan. They already decided to stick with Thomson in the last year of his contract, but there will be pressure to improve a roster that figures to undergo more changes this winter than in any of the previous three.

Here’s a rundown of each player’s contract status:

» READ MORE: Season over. Era over? This Phillies core came up short again, and is poised for change this offseason.

And here are three of the Phillies’ most pressing questions:

Let’s rewind to something Middleton said about Schwarber in July: “We love him. We want to keep him.”

OK, got it.

But is it possible, after watching Schwarber go 3-for-16 with eight strikeouts vs. the Dodgers (1-for-12, seven whiffs in the three losses), that the owner’s sentiments changed?

Probably not. Because Schwarber’s value goes beyond 187 homers in the last four seasons. He’s like Krazy Glue for the clubhouse, respected by veterans as well as young players. He sets the tone, with a voice as powerful as his bat.

» READ MORE: Kyle Schwarber’s bet on himself paid off. And how he did it boosts his value — even as a DH.

The expectation within the sport is Schwarber will seek five years, unprecedented for a DH who will be 33 next season. Maybe he’ll settle for four. Regardless, his annual salary will climb toward $30 million. Rival team officials are guessing that Middleton will match or beat Schwarber’s best offer, as he did previously for Realmuto and Nola.

But are the Phillies better off signing, say, 30-year-old Cody Bellinger at a similar price? Like Schwarber, Bellinger hits lefties (1.016 OPS this season). Unlike Schwarber, he struck out at only a 13.7% rate and plays superb defense in the outfield and first base, skills that could change the mix of the lineup while freeing up DH at-bats for Harper and others.

Just something to think about.

Not only was Realmuto behind the plate for more innings than any catcher in baseball again this season, but he became only the 11th player ever to catch at least 132 games at age 34 or older.

So much for trimming back his workload.

Realmuto generally held up well, too, batting .299 with an .818 OPS in July and August before a September downturn. And if you’re skeptical of his value to the Phillies’ pitchers, Sánchez said this last month: “We’re basically nothing without him.”

Add it all up, toss in the lack of an in-house replacement and unappealing free-agent alternatives (the Orioles might listen to offers on cornerstone catcher Adley Rutschman, but they’d be selling low after he struggled this season), and it’s difficult to see the Phillies not keeping Realmuto.

» READ MORE: From May: Need a rest? J.T. Realmuto will never admit it, even as his offense dips. But his value goes beyond his bat.

But what if it means giving him a three-year contract?

Maybe it won’t come to that. Here’s what Realmuto told Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast, in spring training about how long he wants to keep playing: “It has to do with how my body feels, and also my wife and my family. If they’re getting to an age where they want me to be home a little more, or the kids are missing me too much, that might honestly be the day that I’m like, ‘OK, I’m ready to stop playing.’ I don’t want to just be playing to play. I want to be helping a team win as long as I can.”

If Realmuto is open to a two-year deal, the Phillies surely would jump. But if there’s interest from enough catcher-needy teams (Padres, Mets, Rangers, and Giants, to name a few), it could force them to guarantee a third season.

Harper turns 33 on Thursday and is signed through 2031. Turner and Nola, under contract through 2033 and 2030, are 32. Castellanos will play next season at 34. Wheeler is 35 and coming off thoracic outlet decompression surgery. If Realmuto and Schwarber come back, they will be 35 and 33, respectively.

Even the “daycare” — Marsh (28 next season), Stott (28), and Bohm (29) — is in middle school now.

On average, the Phillies had the second-oldest group of position players (30.3 years old) and seventh-oldest pitching staff (30.0) this season, according to Baseball-Reference.com.

So, yes, it’s imperative that the roster gets an infusion of youth.

Andrew Painter figures to be in the rotation, although it’s doubtful Dombrowski will put a timeline on him after the “July-ish” miscalculation this year. After winning the International League batting crown with a .334 average and reaching base at a .411 clip, Justin Crawford is in line to compete for a job in left field or center.

Maybe Painter takes Suárez’s spot and Crawford replaces Bader. At minimum, Crawford’s impending arrival should lead to a trade of Castellanos, who, entering the last year of his contract, may appeal to a team in need of offense (Giants? Reds? Royals? Guardians?), especially if the Phillies pick up some salary.

Or maybe 21-year-old infielder Aidan Miller pushes to make an impact in 2026, freeing up the Phillies to move Bohm before his free-agent walk year. They discussed swapping Bohm last winter. He might be poised to become a human trade rumor once again.