Phillies’ 2025 spring training preview: 5 vital areas to address ft. determining what to do with Alec Bohm

The Philadelphia Phillies finally put together a regular season, easily winning the NL East. They faded early in the playoffs, though, and both the division rivals that made the postseason last year figure to be much stronger this year. The Phils' roster is mostly the same, but they still have some things to figure out during spring training.

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What the Phillies must do in spring training

5) Re-order the bullpen

The Phillies have to re-order their bullpen (Imagn)

With Jeff Hoffman gone, the Phillies' bullpen is missing a key component. He was their best setup guy and is now with the Toronto Blue Jays. They still have a wealth of pitching but must determine who will do what.

Matt Strahm, Jose Alvarado, and Jordan Romano figure to be high-leverage guys in 2025. Which one will be the closer, and how will Philadelphia orient their other arms? They also have to decide which starter is moving to the pen and which other one is moving when Andrew Painter comes up, too.

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4) Set up the outfield

The Phillies have to set up the outfield (Imagn)

This year, the current outfield depth chart shows Max Kepler in left field, Johan Rojas in center field, and Nick Castellanos in right field. The Phillies typically don't have a great defensive outfield, but this year's setup is better.

Kepler was a below-average hitter and an average defender last year. Rojas was downright bad offensively but very strong defensively. Castellanos is still a bad defender but a good hitter. That leaves Brandon Marsh (good hitter, below-average defender) on the bench. Philadelphia has to decide which alignment provides the best outcome, whether it's more defensive or offensive.

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3) Determine what to do with Alec Bohm

The Phillies need to decide on Alec Bohm (Imagn)

Alec Bohm was terrific in the first half of last season, becoming an All-Star. However, he faded considerably down the stretch and ceded some of his playing time to others. He was a big trade candidate during the offseason.

The spring training session is the perfect time to figure out what to do with him. Should Philadelphia trade him and move on? Do they need to find a stronger third baseman? Is someone on the roster better than Bohm? Now is the time to answer all of those questions.

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2) Determine if Andrew Painter is ready

The Phillies need to know about Andrew Painter (Imagn)

Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski said over the offseason that Andrew Painter's innings would largely come in the second half, but he might force the team's hand early.

If he dominates during spring, which is true of any other prospects invited, the Phillies have to find a place for them or decide what to do at that position.

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1) Find lineup depth

The Phillies need to find lineup depth (Imagn)

The lineup last year was pretty strong and remains virtually the same. However, it fizzled a bit in the second half as the team coasted to a division title. In the playoffs, most hitters failed to show up entirely.

The priority this spring should be to find depth. Whether it's addressing the holes in the lineup now or determining which young players or prospects can help down the stretch and in the playoffs, the Phillies have to fix this issue before they get into the season.