We’re roughly two weeks away from the Phillies beginning spring training, and there are plenty of rumblings about whether the club has all the necessary pieces in place.

How do you feel about it? Should the Phillies run it back with the same core and some newcomers? Is that enough?

One issue with running it back is age. JT Realmuto will soon be 35, while Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and newcomer Adolis Garcia will all reach 33 this season.

Is time on their side?

In this version of my Behind the Plate column, I will take a look at the Phils and Yankees current and possible future state, as well as spring training 46 years ago, and a former Northwestern star who had a lengthy collegiate career.

Same Old Song ... Unless there are some changes on the horizon, the only major moves with the Phillies will possibly be in the lineup.

Manager Rob Thomson will either have Turner or Schwarber leading off, but it will probably fall back to Schwarber. Despite winning a battle title (.304) last season, Turner struggled in the leadoff spot.

Harper likely will be back into the three hole, and Alec Bohm will hit cleanup with Brandon Marsh behind him. Newcomer Garcia easily could slide into the four hole, depending on how fast he adapts.

The other issue is where to hit Justin Crawford. Right now, most projections have him hitting ninth. However, Crawford’s speed and his ability to make contact (he struck out fewer than 20 times based on his plate appearances) could play a role in that decision.

Crawford could solve the Phillies’ lingering leadoff issue, or he could be slotted into the No. 2 spot with Turner leading off to give the team a speed-hitting laced duo at the top. Turner swiped 36 bases last season — his third-highest total for a season — and Crawford hit .334 with 46 steals.

Without the addition of an extra arm, Andrew Painter’s presence has been magnified to round out the rotation. The other major question circles around Aaron Nola, and whether or not the one-time ace can recover from an injury-plagued, disastrous season.

Last-Minute Shopping ... In case you missed it, the Giants signed Harrison Bader to a two-year deal worth $20.5 million. Bader had turned down a $10 million option earlier from the Phillies to enter the free-agent market. He got the same money from the Giants that the Phillies gave Garcia and former outfielder Max Kepler.

It’s puzzling how Bader didn’t end up back in Philly — he recently described his time here as an “amazing experience” — especially considering his Giants deal. This looks like a clear case of Phils president Dave Dombrowski not wanting him back.

Without Bader, the Phillies currently have Pedro Leon, Johan Rojas, and Gabriel Rincoes Jr. as their backup outfielders on their 40-man roster. Otto Kemp can also play the outfield.

The Phillies haven’t changed their stance on Nick Castellanos, as the power-hitter will have a new home within a month. He has been rumored in a trade for Baltimore’s Tyler O’Neill, who had an off-year last season. O’Neill hit 31 homers for Boston in 2024.

Ex-Phil Austin Hays, Michael Conforto, Starling Marte, Alex Verdugo and Miguel Andujar are the most attractive free-agent outfielders left.

The Phillies did also sign 29-year-old veteran Bryan De La Cruz to a minor-league deal.

Free-agent lefty Framber Valdez has been recently linked to the Phillies, but Valdez is seeking a long-term deal north of $200 million. He would be a great addition, but his asking price is likely too high.

A quick fix can be former Brewer and Met free-agent, 37-year-old crafty lefty Jose Quintana, who went 11-7 with a 3.96 ERA over 24 starts in Milwaukee last season.

Max Scherzer continues to be viewed as a possible option, and Walker Buehler could also be re-signed.

Despite his history of injuries, Bader would have been a nice fit in the lineup.

Run It Back II ... Like the Phillies, the Yankees will run-it-back with their lineup, notably with the recent resigning of Cody Bellinger.

Cleveland’s Steven Kwan was seen as the Yankees’ solution to a leadoff hitter, but a presumed trade never materialized. Instead, the Yanks are banking on Trent Grisham taking another step after a career year.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. was the subject of numerous trade rumors, but he’ll be back at second alongside much-maligned shortstop Anthony Volpe.

New York will hope Jasson Dominguez finally reaches his potential, and top prospect Spencer Jones can find a home in the outfield or as a DH. But Jones significantly cooled off after a torrid start at Scranton Wilkes-Barre.

On the mound, the Yanks haven’t yet made a move to add a starting pitcher with Garrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt getting late starts to their seasons. They did resign Ryan Yarborough, who was a spot-starter last year before he was injured, and added Ryan Weathers, who made eight starts last season and can also help bridge the gap.

Even though they have not been very active, the Yankees did acquire David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Jake Bird, Ryan McMahon, Jose Caballero, Armed Rosario and Austin Slater at the July trade deadline last year, and they will all have their first season in pinstripes this year.

The Vote Is In ... According to a recent Times News Lehighton Sports Facebook poll, the question was posed on whether the Phillies need to make moves before the start of the season.

Well, 86 percent of the voters aren’t satisfied with the current club, while 14 are happy with the current makeup.

Readers Write

Need Some Insurance

Dear Jeff,

With Wheeler still recovering from his surgery and the unknown of Painter as a big leaguer, it would be nice to see the Phils add another starting pitcher to the roster.

Also, I am excited to see Crawford patrolling center field, but is he ready? Maybe they should add another outfielder in case he doesn’t work out.

Jim Bechtel

Pen Argyl

Scrapbook ... In each column, I will peel back the pages and review the career of a former standout.

Derek Holmes played baseball and basketball for four years, and football for three years at Northwestern.

As a senior, he set single-season school records with 53 hits and a .624 batting average. He was named a first-team All-Colonial League catcher and third baseman. He played an integral part in the Tigers 2018 district championship.

Holmes continued his career at Moravian, where he was a catcher and third baseman. He has the single-season record in batting average (.460) and hits (69). Holmes ended his career with a record .338 average, and was second in on-base percentage (.462). He also made the Dean’s List seven times.

After Moravian, Holmes was a graduate student at William and Mary in 2024 and 2025. Holmes only appeared in 20 games his first season, but made 52 starts in 54 games the following year.

Holmes hit .316 with one homer, 44 RBIs, 13 doubles and 65 overall hits. He registered 19 multi-hit games.

Time Passages ... In each column, I will rewind the tape to recount a former player, team, or game situation from our favorite pastime.

Do you remember the 1980 strike? Yes, there was the 1981 strike, but there was a brief stoppage from April 1-8, and it wiped out the Phillies’ final eight spring training games.

The Phillies were scheduled to play the Astros in Cocoa Beach April 1, but they had to bus back from Clearwater.

The strike paused the team’s contract negotiations with Gary Maddox, who eventually signed a new five-year, $4.2 million deal month, making him then the game’s highest paid player.

Your thoughts are welcomed and will be published; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com