The sting of losing two-straight games at home in the NLCS to end a season will stick with the Philadelphia Phillies for a while. The offseason won’t be quiet though as the Phillies have plenty of decisions to make regarding the roster. President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski will have his hands full with retooling an already loaded roster in the hopes of making a return trip to next season's championship series.

One of the most significant orders of business for the Phillies in the offseason is addressing the future of Bryce Harper. A career outfielder in the MLB, Harper has shifted to designated hitter and first base since injuring his elbow in 2022. He started all 13 games this postseason at first base.

Dombrowski said he doesn’t know what Harper's future looks like, but it sounds like the two-time MVP will have the final say.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with Bryce,” Dombrowski said, via Matt Gelb. “We need to sit down with Bryce and ask him what his preference is. Sit down with a heart-to-heart on what he wants to do, how he would like to approach it going forward. So I don’t know what he’s going to do yet at this time, but it is something that we’ll have to do relatively soon because we’ll have to know what type of moves we’re going to make.”

Bryce Harper's ideal position

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Where Bryce Harper plays will be a real factor in Philadelphia's offseason plans. There is some versatility on their roster but not a ton, and a mixture of one-dimensional outfielders presents problems if Harper wants to return to the position he's played over 900 MLB games.

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With injuries at first base, the Phillies were able to expedite their accession in the National League by training Harper for the position, thus making their lineup and defense more balanced. It would be a surprise if Harper and the Phillies agree to give that up after seeing the success it brought in the second half of the 2023 season.

Harper staying put at first base opens up more options for the Phillies in the outfield. They can stick with their usual trio of Nick Castellanos-Brandon Marsh-Johan Rojas while mixing in a fourth and letting Kyle Schwarber get some reps when he's not the designated hitter.

It's unlikely the Phillies go after another outfielder in the winter, but if they need to make some moves for pitching, Dombrowski won’t be hesitant to start wheeling and dealing. There's a chance Philadelphia loses Aaron Nola this offseason, thus opening up a spot in the rotation.

Bryce Harper staying at first base is the best option for the Phillies next season, but that will probably spell the end of Rhys Hoskins' tenure in Philadelphia. The longtime Phillies first baseman is a free agent, and there doesn’t appear to be a spot in the starting lineup for him next season. He will almost certainly get a deal from another team to be a full-time starter.

Harper will probably make his decision soon, and the Phillies can get started on building the roster for 2024.