Phillies’ 2025 season ends in a painful NLDS exit, settled on a pair of tight late throws and a lineup that slumped in October. Harper and Schwarber carried the payroll-era heft, but the rest of the core underperformed to a .195 postseason average. With free agents looming and Wheeler's return timeline murky, Philadelphia faces a pivot: push for one more title with an aging, expensive core or pivot to a Painter-led 2026 infusion of youth. The clock is ticking on this era.