‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Rob Thomson on managing the Bo Bichette aftermath, Nick Castellanos, and more
Before he makes the drive from Ontario to Clearwater, Fla., for spring training, the Phillies manager discusses a variety of topics on The Inquirer's baseball podcast.
Later this week, Rob Thomson will gas up his truck near his home in Ontario and begin the drive to Clearwater, Fla., for spring training.
“As you go further south, it gets warmer and warmer, and you really feel like baseball’s back,” the Phillies manager said. “And I’m really looking forward to it.”
First, Thomson was a guest on Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast. He discussed a variety of topics, including how the organization will get over its collective disappointment at not signing Bo Bichette, the value of J.T. Realmuto, moving on from Nick Castellanos, and more.
Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Phillies Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Q: You pushed back the other day on the notion that the Phillies are “running it back.” I think the question heading into the 2026 season is not so much about running it back. I think the question that people should be asking is, are you better today than you were at the end of last season? How do you feel about that?
A: I think it’s to be determined, but I feel better about it. You know, we lose Ranger [Suárez in free agency to the Red Sox], and that’s a big loss. But that’s part of the business, too. I do feel really good about our bullpen. We lose Matty Strahm, who was a big part of our bullpen, but the addition of Brad Keller, who can get both sides out, the addition of Jonathan Bowlan, who I think is a really good two-inning guy that can get righties out. We got some stuff for him to get lefties out. This left-hander, Kyle Backhus, he looks really good. He’s really interesting. He’s got a really low arm slot. So I’m really excited to see these guys. I think we’ve got a really good fit here.
» READ MORE: The Phillies were ‘very close’ to getting Bo Bichette and ended up with J.T. Realmuto. Here’s how it happened.
I’m excited to see Adolis García. I think there’s a chance he bounces back. I think with Adolis — and I can’t speak for him — but in being with Texas last year, with the expectations they had, with all the injuries they had to [Corey] Seager and [Marcus Semien], and I’m wondering if he didn’t try to put the team on his back and put a little bit too much pressure on himself. So maybe he can come in here and just kind of slide into the group and get back to where he was.
I’m excited about [Justin] Crawford. We heard all about him last year [in triple A]. Everybody kept asking me, ‘When’s he coming? When’s he coming?’ It just didn’t happen. But now it looks like it’s going to happen, so I’m excited about that. The speed, the small ball, the on-base ability, it’s really exciting to me to have him hit at the bottom of the lineup and turn the lineup over.
And with Andrew Painter on his second year coming off Tommy John [surgery], I think this is the year where he probably gets really close to being back to normal. And if he’s close to being back to normal, he’s really something. So, there’s a lot of really good things going on.
I think because of the Bichette thing, a lot of that stuff gets overlooked a little bit, and I understand that. But I certainly don’t want the people of Philadelphia to think that we’ve gone in a different direction, and we’re not committed to excellence, committed to winning, and committed to winning world championships because that will never change. We are fully committed to all of that. And we’ve just got to get to the playoffs, but we’ve got a really good club, and we’ve got to play better in the playoffs.
Q: If the Phillies signed Bichette, a lot of dominoes would’ve fallen in line behind that. Realmuto might not be here; Alec Bohm might not be here. What’s your read on everyone’s mindset in the aftermath of not signing Bichette and where guys stand in terms of knowing, ‘OK, I’m here now and this is what it’s going to be?’
A: Yeah, it’s a good question. And I think for the most part, professional athletes and our guys, because we’ve got a pretty experienced club, they understand the business side of it. They understand that things happen and things don’t happen, and they have to just keep moving forward and just stay focused on what they need to do and what they can control because they’ve been through it quite a bit — trade, free agency, trade rumors. So, it’s all part of the business. I think they understand that. And now that we’re past that, I think they’re ready to go.
Q: You were a catcher. Is there an example you can give that maybe illustrates why Realmuto is such an asset in terms of game-calling and handling a pitching staff? And what you might have missed if things had gone differently with Bichette and J.T. wound up somewhere else?
A: I was looking through it the other day, just OPS numbers with J.T. catching with our pitchers. ERA numbers with J.T. catching with our pitchers, and it’s really amazing how good it is. And obviously, our pitchers are good. But when you can stand out on the mound and you can relax and you understand, and you know that guy behind the plate has spent two hours prior to the game preparing for me, for that guy standing on the mound, it gives you a lot of confidence. And you can measure the caught-stealing rate of 30%, so that’s still really good. I don’t know what the receiving numbers are, but it seems like he’s really good.
» READ MORE: J.T. Realmuto is glad to be back with the Phillies and believes he can bounce back at the plate
The way he runs the game, and he can slow down the heartbeat of the team and the heartbeat of the game just by his presence, just by when he goes to the mound, when he calls timeout. You can’t measure all of that. And I’ve said it before, I’ve had [Jorge] Posada, I’ve had Brian McCann, I’ve had Pudge Rodríguez, I’ve had Russell Martin. He’s as good, if not better than all of them. He’s kind of in the same mold with Russell Martin, as far as the body, what kind of shape he’s in, his durability. So, I know J.T. is 35, but he’s playing like he’s in his late 20s. That’s the type of body he’s got and the energy that he brings. He brings so much, and I’m so happy that we have him back. I really am.
Q: Dave Dombrowski said the other day that the plan is still to move Nick Castellanos, one way or another. I wonder if you could reflect on all that happened with Nick last season, from the situation in the dugout in Miami in June to reducing his playing time in the summer and then September, and the comments that he made. You pride yourself on communicating with players. Was it difficult to navigate that situation last year and make sure that it didn’t cause a larger disruption?
A: Yeah, you always try to keep the noise down because there’s always little things that happen, and I feel terrible that any player would feel like I didn’t communicate well enough, because I pride myself on that. I want players to not be confused. I want them to understand exactly what’s going on, and if there’s something going on with them that my door is always open, and I expect them to come in and they need to communicate with me, too, because I don’t know. I’m not a mind reader. So, it was just a difficult situation. The thing with Nick, the bottom line is, he wants to play every day. He wants to play every inning, every day, and you can’t fault him for that. I think I respect him a great deal, just for being that guy.
» READ MORE: Are the Phillies ‘running it back’? Maybe, but that’s not the most important question for 2026
Q: Is there an idea yet of when Zack Wheeler might get on a mound? And do you have an idea for his state of mind coming off this pretty big surgery five months or so ago? Where does he stand in terms of his confidence level that he could come back and be Zack Wheeler?
A: He feels really good, and I’m really encouraged by it. I don’t have a date when he’s going to get on the mound, but he’s getting stronger. The ball flight keeps getting better every time he throws a baseball. The release point is getting more consistent every time he throws. He’s got certain goals, like he wants to start the season with us. Whether that’s going to happen or not, that’s up to the trainers and the medical people and the doctors. But he wants to be an All-Star. He’s got goals. So, that’s good. He’s got a carrot out there that he’s after, so that’s good. This whole rehab process could take up to eight months, generally. I think he’s probably going to be a little bit ahead of that. Whether he’s on our opening-day roster, I’m not really sure. Don’t want to push him, for sure, because we want a healthy Zack Wheeler. We want him back to normal, and I believe he’s going to get there.