3 Ways Dave Dombrowski Methodically Shifted Phillies Clubhouse

The fallout from releasing Nick Castellanos is now dominating conversations about Philadelphia Phillies spring training. While the stunning drama absorbs the attention, closer scrutiny of the organization's offseason moves reveals a priority that's gone somewhat overlooked.

Dave Dombrowski has built a reputation for a frequent presence at batting practice and in the clubhouse as much as any MLB front office executive.

The President of Baseball Operations subtracted two players with consideration to their questionable clubhouse fit and notoriously challenged Phillies superstar Bryce Harper entering the season.

Front office executives almost never speak as transparently about moving on from a player as Dombrowski spoke about Nick Castellanos immediately following the 2025 season.

The Phillies considered trading the pricey right fielder after the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Disagreements reached the point of conflict last season in grand fashion. 

Castellanos handled reasonable adjustments to his playing time with inaccurate self-evaluations of his offensive and defensive value. The situation came to a head with a June dugout incident in Miami between Castellanos and manager Rob Thomson.

Serious deficiencies in his plate approach and outfield defense one year later left the Phillies with an obvious solution to limit Castellanos to a platoon role. He responded with public criticism of the manager’s communication and other unprofessional conduct. Thomson had already mentioned weeks earlier to the media conversations with Castellanos about the adjusted role and the lineup plan.

If you need perspective on the organization’s evaluation of Nick Castellanos in the clubhouse, consider that the Phillies faced tough payroll decisions during a critical offseason. Meanwhile, they’re willingly swallowed $20 million to subtract Castellanos from their clubhouse. Meanwhile, they added Adolis Garcia to play the same position with an additional $10 million salary.

Dave Dombrowski also eliminated any questions inside or outside the Phillies clubhouse about the lack of playing experience on Thomson's staff, hiring Don Mattingly as the new bench coach.

A substantial $7.5 million salary due, declining fastball velocity, and interest in adding righty Brad Keller to the bullpen made the Matt Strahm trade a sensible move for the Phillies.

However, the deal wasn’t independent of Strahm’s questionable comments following Orion Kerkering’s error in Game 4 of the NLDS. The veteran reliever publicly spoke about how the Phillies were underprepared with fielding reps that could’ve kept his inexperienced teammate sharp.

Rob Thomson had previously announced pitcher fielding practice (PFP) as a priority of the bye week regiment before the Los Angeles Dodgers traveled to Citizens Bank Park. Dombrowski wasn’t shy during his end-of-season media availability to separate Strahm’s lack of PFP from the pitching staff’s collective work.

The Phillies dealt Strahm to the Kansas City Royals for right-hander Jonathan Bowlan as part of the shuffle in their new-look bullpen. After the deal, Dombrowski downplayed the idea of a strained personal relationship. However, he also mentioned repeatedly and unprompted that he's unable to speak for others on the topic.

Strahm wasn’t detrimental to the clubhouse with a combative attitude. Younger pitchers even pointed to him as the bullpen’s leader at times. However, the front office’s decision to trade him was also related to a demanding, grizzled personality.

You’re aware by now that Dombrowski doesn’t think Bryce Harper had an “elite” season in 2025.

Dombrowski hasn’t led four franchises to World Series appearances without learning how to handle the media. His comments deliberately challenged a competitive star player. He neglected to mention Harper’s nagging wrist injury – whether deliberately or not – and fed public controversy surrounding the comments.

Rob Thomson spoke about Harper and his aggressive plate approach with more transparency just a few minutes later.

Notice that neither Kyle Schwarber nor Trea Turner received the same type of criticism. Both former Washington Nationals have worked with Kevin Long on adjustments to their respective plate approaches. Schwarber hit a combined .244 the past two seasons after posting a .197 batting average in 2023. Turner focused more on a leadoff style in 2025 and won the National League batting title.

Harper’s plate approach will require some adjustments in the later years of his career. He chased only 24.3% of pitches outside the ABS zone in his MVP season in 2021. It landed him in the 68th percentile of MLB hitters. His 35.6% chase rate last season was conversely in the 11th percentile of MLB hitters.

"The Showman" hasn’t ignored Long's hitting instruction with the same magnitude as Nick Castellanos, and he won’t receive the same fate.

However, two crucial voices in Phillies leadership weren’t too shy about publicly challenging Harper to improve in 2026.

Alec Bohm’s attitude came into serious question in October 2024. Rob Thomson sat him in Game 2 of the National League Division Series looking for better energy in the playoff lineup.

Thomson also publicly challenged Bohm’s ability to handle the inevitable highs and lows of the major league entering 2025. A manager that consistently sticks up for his players publicly spoke after the season about how Bohm achieved the goal.

However, Dombrowski actively explored ways to move the 29-year-old for the second consecutive offseason. No worthwhile trade options materialized, and the notorious Bo Bichette saga made Bohm the default option at third base entering 2026.

Bohm deserves credit for rebounding from a tough April to finish 2025 with a respectable .287 average and .742 OPS. However, it’s fair to question whether his place on the roster is more about belief in the player or just convenience. 

Kevin Cooney spoke on 97.5 The Fanatic about a source in the organization who questioned a flaw in Bohm’s swing that’s never been corrected during his time with the Phillies. The 6-foot-5 righty's flat swing to the pull side limits his ability to hit for power.

The numbers dramatically reflect Bohm’s inability to adjust his swing. Only 7.7% of pitches he put in play last season were hit in the air to his pull side. The rate fell drastically short of the 16.1% MLB average.

Dombrowski and Thomson, meanwhile, have taken every opportunity to praise two other potential third basemen. They've lauded Otto Kemp throughout the offseason. They've also intentionally left the door open for Aidan Miller to make his MLB debut in 2026.

Bohm will reach unrestricted free agency after the 2026 season. It's unlikely he'll stay with the Phillies after an embattled tenure. It's also not out of the question that Dombrowski explores a trade during the season, especially if Miller proves he's ready to play third base at the major league level.

Stats courtesy of StatCast, Baseball Reference, and FanGraphs.