With the Philadelphia Phillies' season officially in the books, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and managing partner John Middleton will turn their attention to free agency where the team will have a lot of difficult decisions to make about the future of the franchise.
The Phillies figure to prioritize trying to retain their core contributors such as Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Ranger Suárez, and others who will hit the open market. However, there's another player who has already expressed a desire to return to Philadelphia next year.
Max Kepler, who is scheduled to become a free agent for the second year in a row, told reporters that he would love to return to the Phillies, per Phillies Nation's Destiny Lugardo, and don the red pinstripes again in 2026 following an up-and-down 2025 season in Philadelphia.