The Philadelphia Philies' offseason is not off to the greatest start. Managers mean very little at the end of the day, but keeping Don Mattingly around after such an uninspiring final month signals a desire to run it back. And the Phillies cannot, under any circumstances, run it back.

Dave Dombrowski was smart in his exit interview. He expressed a desire for change, even noting that Trea Turner is not guaranteed his spot at shortstop. If the Phillies can improve their defense, add a couple impact bats and solidify the bullpen, there's still a path to the World Series. Not a clear path, but a path. Here's how Philadelphia can win the offseason before a lockout on Dec. 1.

Sign Seiya Suzuki

Philadelphia needs a quality right-handed bat in the worst of ways. Southpaws have consistently obliterated the Phillies lineup. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber are mostly dependable as everyday hitters, but Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh — two of their most valuable bats for extended stretches last season — are rendered useless in lefty-on-lefty matchups. It wouldn't be so bad if Turner and JT Realmuto could punish lefties, but alas, neither held up their end of the bargain in 2026.

The Phillies are also losing potential platoon partners like Edmundo Sosa, Alec Bohm and Adolis García to free agency. Luis Arraez, their most positive lefty-on-lefty hitter, is also a free agent. That brings us to Seiya Suzuki, a 32-year-old outfielder who has distinguished himself as the best position player available this offseason.

Philadelphia would need to outspend other heavyweights, such as the Dodgers and Cubs, but few teams ought to match the Phillies' desperation. This is the same front office that, to its credit, made a strong seven-year, $200 million offer to Bo Bichette last winter. Dave Dombrowski has never shied away from star power, nor the financial sacrifices necessary to acquire it. Suzuki won't get seven years, but perhaps something like four years and $100 million can get the job done.

Add a high-leverage bullpen arm

The anxiety around the Phillies' bullpen is probably overstated. Jhoan Duran remains one of the absolute best closers in MLB, while rookie Alex McFarlane quickly climbed the ladder to a featured role in the postseason. He's on the upswing; meanwhile, Orion Kerkering is still talented enough, and young enough, to believe in his eventual revival. Jonathan Bowlan was awesome in his first season with the Phils. The hope is that Caleb Killian, once healthy, can follow a similar breakout path. Don't forget Brad Keller, either, who should return from his elbow rehab at some point in 2027.

All that said, the Phillies need to fortify some things. Jose Alvarado is gone and with him, Philadelphia's only real left-handed option in high leverage spots. In a dream world, Philly's two biggest free agent signings are probably Suzuki and Adrian Morejon. The latter, a 27-year-old southpaw, is the best setup man in baseball. Whether the Phillies can actually pay both, of course, remains to be seen.

Other quality options exist, whether it's via trade or free agent signing. A big lefty to tag team with McFarlane or Bowlan in the seventh and eighth innings is the priority, but elite right-handed hurlers — such as David Bednar or Raisel Iglesias — would scratch an itch all the same.

Add depth to the rotation

After strong finishes to the campaign from Andrew Painter and Aaron Nola, the Phillies can feel good about their current five-man rotation. Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo are all Cy Young candidates in a good year, while Painter harbors All-Star potential of his own. That said, the Phillies are poorly protected against injuries, as last season showed. There's no clear-cut stopgap on the roster. Top prospect Gage Wood could enter the fray in 2027, but an unproven 22-year-old promises no surefire results.

The Phillies probably aren't going to overcomplicate things with a marquee addition. Names like Tarik Skubal, Reid Detmers or Drew Rasmussen are appealing, of course, but the Phillies don't have the money nor the trade assets to responsibly bring another ace into the fold. Therefore, they would be wise to target a quality lower-level depth piece. Nick Martinez probably pitched his way out of their price range, but a similar arm — adept in both a bullpen and a starter role — would solidify Philadelphia's pitching plan. Free agents like Kris Bubic and Martin Perez come to mind.

Move Trea Turner off of shortstop

Dombrowski told reporters after the season that Turner needs to earn his spot in 2027. So in all likelihood, he will at least enter spring training as the nominal starting shortstop, with a chance to claim the position outright with a strong performance.

That's the right approach, but if last season told us anything, it's that Turner is on a downward spiral defensively. The offense is another matter entirely, but the Phillies are paying too much to bench Turner outright. A move to second base or center field, where he finds himself in fewer compromised positions on defense, could help mitigate some of Turner's more negative attributes.

There are a few potential options here. The Phillies can target a shortstop in free agency or trade. Or, more realistically, they can plan on top prospect Aidan Miller succeeding Turner at the six, with Stott assuming third base duties, as he did so well after the Arraez trade. That would bump Turner to second base, where any semblance of an offensive turnaround immediately amplifies his value relative to his positional peers.

Add a real second catcher behind JT Realmuto

Realmuto's offensive production nosedived in 2026, an entirely predictable development in his age-35 season. The Phillies are never going to return full value on Realmuto's three-year, $45 million contract. What Philadelphia can do instead is ease his burden, hoping that less of a defensive workload amplifies what Realmuto can still do in the batter's box.

Realmuto appeared in 123 games for the Phillies last season. He was their only semi-functional catcher; Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchan were two of the worst hitters in baseball, if not the two worst. The Phillies need to find a catcher who can split an even timeshare with Realmuto. Starting close to full-time puts far too much wear and tear on his knees. If Realmuto is better rested, perhaps he can swing the bat with more intent.