To say Phillies fans have been underwhelmed since last winter is probably an understatement. After falling short in the National League Championship Series against the Diamondbacks in 2023, fans were hoping to see some new blood added to the mix, but after spending big on free agents every offseason prior, including $300 million to Trea Turner the year before, team president Dave Dombrowski decided to spend his cash on players already in the building.
He gave Aaron Nola, the top starting pitcher on the free agent market, a lucrative, seven-year deal and signed Zack Wheeler to a three-year extension. Yes, Dombrowski decided to run it back with largely the same team and, during the regular season, was rewarded for it with a 95-win season and an NL East title.
Then, the Mets came along and wiped an impatient and chasing Phillies lineup from the playoffs in the divisional round, the team falling another step shorter of their ultimate goal.
So now, here we are. The Phils entered this offseason understanding some things needed to change. Dombrowski understood that the lineup needed to function differently. Either the existing players would need to unlock plate discipline and all-fields hitting ability they hadn’t previously shown, or they would need to swap some players from the existing lineup out while bringing in some new blood.
It’s easier said than done.
There is no Staples “Easy” button to press here. The free agent that would have fit best, Juan Soto, is now a Met. The remaining guys, Teoscar Hernandez, Anthony Santander and Jurickson Profar, would fit in different ways but are going to get big contracts, too. There is a limit to how much the Phillies can spend.
Trades are even harder to pull off. How do you exchange pretty good players already in your lineup for better players, without also giving up the few really good prospects you have? The best hitter (Kyle Tucker), starting pitcher (Garrett Crochet) and reliever (Devin Williams) available have all been dealt in the last week, and not to the Phils.
No easy answers
Dombrowski is in a tough spot. If he trades away his very best prospects — Andrew Painter, Aiden Miller and Justin Crawford — they rob themselves of the homegrown talent most teams need to sustain long-term success. But if they don’t, they miss out on some potentially game-changing big leaguers who could help them win a World Series in 2025.
The question essentially comes down to this: How much do you trust Dave Dombrowski?
Phillies fans should trust him more than they do. He’s a future Hall of Fame executive, has already taken this team to a World Series, he’s taken two others to a Fall Classic and, despite their shortcomings, the Phils remain a World Series contender. His free agent signings have been great. However, his trades have been lackluster, particularly those of the last two summers. Nevertheless, his history shows he knows what he’s doing.
There’s a lot of distrust out there about Dombrowski. Hasn’t he earned a little bit more trust than he’s getting? The offseason still has two months left to it, so perhaps making firm declarations on the offseason now is a bit premature.
On the latest Hittin’ Season podcast, we discussed Dombrowski’s offseason thus far and our level of trust for him to get things fixed on this roster.
