Phillies manager gives cryptic response regarding top prospect making team

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Phillies manager Rob Thomson gives a cryptic response regarding top prospect making the team

By Zachary Cariola | Last updated Jan 29, 2026 11:20 AM ET

The Philadelphia Phillies didn’t do much to change up their roster this offseason.

They re-signed catcher J.T. Realmuto (three years, $45 million) and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (five years, $150 million), while signing former Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia to replace Nick Castellanos.

This lack of change and the thought of “running it back” have the fan base frustrated, but the infusion of some of their young prospects, right-hander Andrew Painter (No. 28) and outfielder Justin Crawford (No. 53), should help light a spark under their veteran players.

Painter seems to be a lock to make the rotation after Ranger Suarez signed with the Boston Red Sox. However, Crawford still has a question mark surrounding him, with manager Rob Thomson giving a cryptic response on whether Crawford will make the Opening Day roster.

"From everybody I’ve talked to, the makeup is really good, the intangibles are really good," Thomson recently told Cole Weintraub of NBC Sports Philadelphia. "If [Crawford] makes the club, we’re going to let him go. We’re going to let him play. And hopefully he’ll have some success — and we think he will."

Phillies need to let Justin Crawford sink or swim

Once San Francisco Giants outfielder Harrison Bader decided not to pick up the end of his $10 million mutual option and opted to sign a two-year, $20.5 million contract with them, the Phillies faced a problem of who would replace his defense in center field (13 defensive runs saved). Drafted in the first round (17th overall) in the 2022 MLB Draft to be their future center fielder, the Phillies need to allow Crawford to either sink or swim out in center.

Crawford continued to take steps forward at the plate in 2025, seeing his batting average skyrocket 21 points from 2024 (.313) to 2025 (.334), while adding 46 stolen bases to his stat sheet. The knock on Crawford is his inability to hit the ball in the air (9.3 percent pull percentage) and hitting the ball more on the ground (19.9 percent pull ground-ball percentage).

Despite not being a home run hitter (19 in four seasons), Crawford's speed is what helps set him apart. With the Phillies outfield shaping up to be Crawford, Garcia, Brandon Marsh and possibly Otto Kemp thrown in the mix, they have no choice but to play Crawford in center to see what he can do.

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. When I’m not writing, I love spending time with my family and learning history.

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