Thomson, Dombrowski discuss Phillies' spring storylines

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Phillies manager Rob Thomson texted Eagles coach Nick Sirianni this week, congratulating him on Sunday’s Super Bowl victory.

“The city’s on fire right now, and rightfully so,” Thomson said Wednesday at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla., following the Phillies’ first workout for pitchers and catchers.

The Phillies are excited to get back to work. There will be plenty of storylines to follow this spring, but Thomson and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski opened camp with general thoughts about the team.

Here are highlights to get you up to speed:

Alec Bohm
The Phillies discussed trading Bohm this offseason, although they told him that they weren’t initiating those talks.

“We went into the wintertime with an open mind with how our club would look and the ability to discuss some of our players,” Dombrowski said. “With that brings interest in some of your good players.”

If there is any awkwardness between team and player, the Phillies said they haven’t seen it.

“His mindset … a bunch of coaches were around him for a long time [this week],” Thomson said. “They said he’s so positive. It seems like a different guy. He’s grown up again. He’s grown up so much since we first brought him to the big leagues. It looks like he’s taken another step. I’m really excited to see what he can do.”

More moves coming?
A few notable free agents remain on the market, but it is unlikely the Phillies will sign them.

“It’s never say never, but I’d be surprised if anything would happen of any significance at this point,” Dombrowski said.

Phillies managing partner John Middleton said Wednesday that the team is not handcuffed by its payroll, which is projected to be the third highest in baseball. He said that if Philadelpha needs to make a move before the Trade Deadline, it can.

Contract extensions
Last March, the Phillies signed Zack Wheeler to a three-year, $126 million contract extension.

This spring, could they sign J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber and/or Ranger Suárez to contract extensions? They will be free agents after the season.

The Phillies have no heir apparent to Realmuto, so re-signing him would make sense. He enters camp healthy and ready to bounce back from a subpar year, which involved midseason knee surgery. Schwarber is one of the game’s best pure power hitters and a tremendous leader in the clubhouse.

Suárez is brilliant when healthy, but he is probably the least likely to sign an extension, considering the Phillies’ commitments to Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sánchez; Jesús Luzardo being under team control through 2026; and top pitching prospect Andrew Painter’s imminent arrival and projected stardom.

“We like all three players a great deal and hope they’re part of the organization for a long time, but time will tell,” Dombrowski said.

J.T.’s playing time
Thomson said he spoke with Realmuto about monitoring his playing time to keep him healthy and productive. He said the conversation went well.

“I think he realizes that he needs to have a good year, and he needs to stay healthy,” Thomson said. “We need to do a better job of managing his games. Now, do I know exactly how many games he’s going to play? I don’t know. I think you gauge that as the season goes on. I did talk to him about having some DH days. He was all in on that.”

Andrew Painter
Dombrowski reiterated that Painter could join the Major League club by “July-ish.” But following Painter’s Tommy John surgery in 2023, the Phillies are taking things slowly. Painter, who is the No. 8 prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline, will throw bullpen sessions early this spring, then progress to facing hitters. Eventually, he might appear in extended spring training games.

Grapefruit League games, however, are highly unlikely.

Bench battle
Catchers Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs will compete to be Realmuto’s backup. Infielder Edmundo Sosa is a lock to make the team. Center fielder Johan Rojas is a favorite to be the fourth outfielder.

That leaves one bench job. Thomson said the Phillies probably need a right-handed bat for that spot, giving Weston Wilson the inside track. But both Dombrowski and Thomson cited Kody Clemens and Buddy Kennedy and the fact that they are out of options. If they don’t make the team, Philadelphia could lose them. That could be a factor.

“We’re open-minded to depth from a position-player perspective,” Dombrowski said.

One thing to watch: Sosa, who hits right-handed, will work in the outfield this spring.

Taijuan Walker
Walker is competing to be the final man in the bullpen. The Phillies think he is throwing the ball better than he was early last spring, but he will need to earn his spot. His advantage: He has two years and $36 million remaining on his contract.

“I hope that he pitches like the Taijuan Walker that we’ve seen in the past, and then we’ll have great problems and great conversations, and we’ll see what ends up happening,” Dombrowski said.

Aidan Miller
Miller is the No. 27 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. He also is the youngest player in camp at 20 years old.

Miller will play shortstop this spring. There had been talk that he might play third or second to get comfortable there, if the Phillies need him at some point.

Could Miller push for a promotion this season?

“I guess that would surprise me a little bit,” Dombrowski said. “But I used to sit next to [Hall of Famer] Al Kaline every game for a dozen years. He used to tell me, ‘Dave, the good ones come fast. Let me tell you.’

“I’ve never hesitated to push guys. But saying that, I’m not putting that on [Miller]. But when you’re around those really good guys, they come fast. And Al used to tell me that all the time. Again, I don’t think he’ll do it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s playing in the big leagues in the near future.”