This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki¡¯s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Happy New Year, everybody.

The Phillies are hoping 2025 ends better than 2024. Or 2023 and 2022, for that matter. They believe they improved their chances last month, when they acquired left-hander Jes¨²s Luzardo, right-handers Jordan Romano and Joe Ross and outfielder Max Kepler. None of them brought the splash of Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Teoscar Hern¨¢ndez, etc., but the Phillies have mentioned repeatedly that they made those splashes in recent years with Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Aaron Nola, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, etc.

The Phils are projected to have the second-highest payroll in baseball.

It should be enough to win.

Here¡¯s a quick look ahead to 2025:

Free-agent target who would still be a perfect fit: OF/1B Mark Canha

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said recently that he¡¯d be ¡°surprised if we got into impactful-type of free-agent signings from an offensive perspective. I don't want to say it's a tight payroll. From an ownership perspective, I don't think I've ever gone to John [Middleton] on anything and him say, 'No, don't do something.' But you still try to keep things in perspective. We're over $300 million in the threshold. Everybody we sign is a major penalty at this point. So you're cognizant of that.¡±

So, if the Phils have addressed their offseason needs in recent weeks, where is a spot they might look to improve before Spring Training? Teams can always use more pitching, so perhaps a high-leverage reliever can¡¯t find the deal he wants and comes to Philly on a one-year contract. Or maybe the Phillies take their chances on a veteran, right-handed-hitting corner outfielder. Canha is somebody who might make sense.

One player poised to have a breakout season: RHP Orion Kerkering

The Phillies are banking on Kerkering taking a significant step forward in 2025. After all, right-handers Carlos Est¨¦vez and Jeff Hoffman are not expected to return, unless their market crashes and they settle on a club-friendly deal. When the Phils signed Romano in December, they said they were comfortable with what they have in the bullpen, specifically mentioning Kerkering as a key piece in the back end. He will need to step up to make the plan work.

One prospect to watch in 2025: RHP Andrew Painter

How could it be anybody else? The Phillies have talked quite a bit about the rotation since the end of the 2024 season. First, they already believed they had four top-tier starters in Wheeler, Nola, Ranger Su¨¢rez and Cristopher S¨¢nchez. Then, they got Luzardo in a trade with Miami in December. Now, the Phillies believe they have five All-Star-caliber starters to open the season. But that doesn¡¯t mean Painter¡¯s time won¡¯t come in 2025. Injuries happen, pitchers struggle and workloads will be monitored. For those reasons, you can bet Painter will be in red pinstripes at some point.

One prediction for the new year: Bryson Stott bounces back

Dombrowski revealed to reporters at the Winter Meetings that second baseman Bryson Stott battled a sore elbow most of last season. They believe it affected his performance at the plate. If true, it points to a potential bounceback for Stott.

Stott batted better than .300 through much of the 2023 season before finishing with a .280 average with a .748 OPS. He hit only .245 with a .671 OPS last season. If Stott returns to form, he could move up in the Phillies¡¯ lineup, as manager Rob Thomson has contemplated a new look.