Dave Dombrowski Applying Run it Back Offseason Strategy with Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies operate under one of the largest budgets of any franchise in a league without a salary cap. They’ve fallen just short of a World Series in consecutive seasons. Dave Dombrowski has additionally built a reputation as one of the most aggressive offseason and in-season executives in the sport.
Every indicator points to an aggressive offseason strategy aimed at maximizing a window of championship contention. Superstar names like Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto have dominated the conversation of the MLB offseason.
Why haven’t Philadelphia fans seen the aggressive strategy?
Dave Dombrowski Running It Back
Aaron Nola re-signed for seven years on a $172 million contract in November. The Phillies also extended Rob Thomson through 2025, avoiding a “lame duck” manager situation that doesn’t create a good clubhouse dynamic.
However, none of their moves have shaken up a roster that fell short of a second consecutive National League pennant in a heartbreaking NLCS collapse. Jayson Stark spoke on The Philly Hot Stove Show about the unexpected strategy.
“Bringing back the roster, as good as it’s been, and expecting everything to go the same, everybody to have that year, that kind of success again, is very un-baseball-like. It rarely happens.” -Jayson Stark
Stark spoke about an attitude he’d never seen from Dombrowski at the MLB Winter Meetings.
“He arrived. He had done the Nola deal. He knew that the kinds of moves he needs to make now were not going to be available, and he just kind of breezed his way through the Winter Meetings.” -Stark
Doesn’t Dombrowski worry that retaining the same roster with no major additions leaves the opportunity for complacency to spread? This is the same guy who saw the Boston Red Sox follow up their World Series title in 2018 with a third-place finish in 2019 and a further plummet to the AL East basement in 2020.
“It’s not a worry with this particular group, just the makeup of the group… He thinks you only worry about that if your team has won the World Series…This team didn’t win, is still hungry to win. He’s not worried at all that they might feel comfortable.” -Stark
Comparing the 2022 and 2023 Phillies
If the Phillies don’t add to their roster, what reason do the fans have to believe they’ll get over the hump and win the World Series?
When the Phillies hired Dave Dombrowski, it looked like an aggressive move intended to maximize the prime years of stars like Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler, and J.T. Realmuto. The two-time World Series champion also acquired Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, and Trea Turner.
Rob Thomson told Matt Gelb of The Athletic that complementary players would fit with the cast of expensive stars that have led the Phillies to five playoff series wins in the past two seasons.
The major domino of the MLB offseason fell when Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Phillies still have options like Jordan Hicks and Kike Hernandez to patch up their roster.
However, they additionally chose to retain Garrett Stubbs, Jake Cave, and Dylan Covey within the organization. All three played roles at the bottom of the roster in 2023. They’ll presumably take up roster spots in complementary roles, limiting the chance to upgrade the bottom of the roster.
Ricky Bottalico spent seven years in the Phillies clubhouse. He wasn’t impressed with the reported offseason strategy of Dave Dombrowski when Stark joined 97.5 The Fanatic.
Will the unexpected strategy work for the Phillies in 2024?
“This is the most relaxed I’ve ever seen Dombrowski at Winter Meetings. This is the fewest convos he’s had with other teams at Winter Meetings EVER. Dave likes this team as it is and feels like this team doesn’t need December moves… more January and February moves.”
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) December 7, 2023
-@jaysonst
Download the 97.5 The Fanatic app to hear The Philly Hot Stove Show with Ricky Bottalico. Ricky and Connor Thomas will discuss the latest baseball offseason news, including what’s going on with the Phillies. The next episode will air in January.