Prior to being traded to the Baltimore Orioles in a deal that brought back outfielder Austin Hays, reliever Seranthony Domínguez had been the second longest-tenured player for the Philadelphia Phillies, having made his debut with the team on May 17, 2018.
With the 2024 trade deadline in the rearview mirror, here’s an updated look at the five longest-tenured Phillies, both pitchers and position players. (Of note: While Scott Kingery remains in the Phillies organization, he’s not on the 40-man roster and didn’t play at the Major League level at all in 2023, so he was not considered for this list.)
No. 1: RHP Aaron Nola
Debut For Phillies: July 21, 2015 vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Selected by the Phillies with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, Nola made his Major League Debut in a 1-0 loss to the Rays on July 21, 2015. Nola was excellent in his first outing, limiting the Rays to five hits and one run over six innings. He, of course, returned to the Phillies on a seven-year/$172 million deal after briefly testing free agency last offseason. He’s now signed through the 2030 season.
No. 2: LHP Ranger Suárez
Debut For Phillies: July 26, 2018 vs. Cincinnati Reds
Visa issues and a bout with COVID-19 turned 2020 into a lost season for Suárez, a disappointing development after he had shown some impressive flashes the two prior seasons. But since 2021, Suarez has thrived both as a starter and out of the bullpen, posting a 3.11 ERA and 3.43 FIP in 110 regular season games for the Phillies. Over that three-season stretch, his 20 defensive runs saved are the most among starting pitchers. He was an All-Star for the first time in 2024. Suárez can become a free agent after the 2025 season, although president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski did tell Phillies Nation‘s Destiny Lugardo that “we would definitely like to have Ranger with us for a long time.”
No. 3 (tie): Catcher J.T. Realmuto
Debut For Phillies: March 28, 2019 vs. Atlanta Braves
The Phillies acquired the All-Star catcher in a megadeal with the Miami Marlins on Feb. 7, 2019, sending then-top prospect Sixto Sánchez to the Fish as part of the return package. In parts of six seasons with the Phillies since, Realmuto has won two Gold Glove Awards, a pair of Silver Sluggers and made multiple All-Star Game appearances. There’s a good chance when it’s all said and done that he’ll go down as the greatest catcher in franchise history. Realmuto tested free agency following the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but ultimately re-signed with the Phillies for five years and $115.5 million, a pact that will keep him in red pinstripes through at least the 2025 season.
No. 3 (tie): First Baseman Bryce Harper
Debut For Phillies: March 28, 2019 vs. Braves
After over 100 days as a free agent, Harper signed a 13-year/$330 million deal with the Phillies on Feb. 28, 2019. Like Realmuto, his Phillies debut came in an Opening Day drubbing of the division-rival Braves exactly a month later. Harper won the 2021 NL MVP, and then hit arguably the biggest home run in franchise history to essentially send the Phillies to the World Series in 2022. The 2022 NLCS MVP is tied with Jayson Werth and Kyle Schwarber for the franchise lead in career playoff home runs at 11, a category he seems certain to one day be in sole possession of. Harper is signed through the 2031 season, and both he and his agent Scott Boras have strongly hinted at a desire to extend the relationship beyond that year.
No. 5: RHP Zack Wheeler
Debut For Phillies: July 25, 2020 vs. Miami Marlins
After flashing frontline potential over parts of five seasons with the New York Mets, the Phillies bet that the best was yet to come for Wheeler, signing him to a five-year/$118 million free-agent deal prior to the 2020 season. That proved to be one of the best signings in franchise history. Wheeler allowed just five hits and one run over seven innings in a win during the second game of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, his Phillies debut. He was selected to the NL All-Star team in both 2021 and 2024, and finished runner-up in NL Cy Young Award voting in the first of those two campaigns. Prior to what would have been the final year of his contract, the Phillies rewarded Wheeler with a three-year/$126 million extension in March of 2024.
MORE FROM PHILLIES NATION
- Phillies 2024 Walk-Up Songs
- John Middleton On Phillies’ Deadline: ‘Now It’s Up To The Players’
- Gregory Soto’s First Comments With O’s Offer Insight Into Why The Phillies Traded Him
- Trea Turner Explains Why He Doesn’t Believe Phillies Need A Team Meeting
- Bryce Harper, Phillies Have To ‘Cowboy Up’ After Season-Worst Stretch
- Dave Dombrowski On Trade Deadline: ‘We Really Like What We’ve Done’
- New Phillie Carlos Estévez Ready To Add To ‘Beautiful Beach That These Guys Have Built’
- Bryce Harper, Phillies Toast Seranthony Domínguez: ‘Pretty Special What He Did For Us’
- This Local Draft Pick Held Phillies History In His Hand In 2022. Now He Hopes To Be A Part Of It.
- Phillies 2024 Giveaway Schedule
