For over 40 years, Dave Dombrowski has worked in Major League Baseball Front Offices. His first General Manager job was with the Montreal Expos in 1988.
Dombrowski has built a Hall of Fame resume as the man who built four rosters that have reached the World Series:
*1997 Florida Marlins
*2006 Detroit Tigers
*2012 Detroit Tigers
*2018 Boston Red Sox
*2022 Philadelphia Phillies
But Phillies fans, like myself, have gotten tired of being reminded again and again about Dombrowski’s resume and past success. Since the Phillies lost the 2022 World Series, the team has regressed in the postseason and has not returned to the World Series in the last 3 years.
I have expressed numerous times on 973 ESPN South Jersey on The Sports Bash with Mike Gill (Monday-Friday 2-6pm) and Hanging with Hennig (Saturdays 12-3pm):
I don’t care about Dave Dombrowski’s past; I need a man of action in the present!
Since 2021, the Philadelphia Phillies have spent over $500 Million on Free Agent signings. The additions of Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, and Trea Turner were meant to be the missing pieces to a Phillies lineup that is a mix of Veterans and homegrown players.
While Kyle Schwarber has been one of Philadelphia’s most dependable hitters over the last few years, Nick Castellanos has been an incredible disappointment, and some fans wonder if Trea Turner has been worth getting a $300 million contract.
Meanwhile, the Phillies have been through 10 different relief pitchers who they have used to close games, a list of infamy that includes:
-Hector Neris
-Ian Kennedy
-Corey Knebel
-David Robertson
-Craig Kimbrel
-Jose Alvarado
-Jeff Hoffman
-Jordan Romano
Heading into the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline, every MLB Insider and former Player who went on different shows and podcasts kept saying that Dave Dombrowski would make some big moves. Phillies fans have been clamoring for the President of Baseball Operations to make trades to improve a flawed roster.
So Did Dombrowski Do Enough At The Trade Deadline?
Despite all of my criticisms of the man I mockingly call “The Wizard of Oz”, the reality is that the Phillies’ President of Baseball Operations did his job this month.
The Phillies’ Bullpen was in the bottom ten in the National League is almost every statistical category. Acquiring Jhoan Duran was a huge deal for Philadelphia to create stability for their pitching staff. Now, guys like Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, Tanner Banks, and Jordan Romano have more defined roles because there is a stud pitcher who is in the Closer role.
The Phillies’ Outfielders are one of the worst collections of hitters in Major League Baseball this season. The addition of Harrison Bader, who can play both Left Field and Center Field, gives Philadelphia a player who is a more consistent hitter and fielder than almost anyone on the current roster.
While Dombrowski would not confirm what Bader’s role for the Phillies would be the rest of the 2025 season, it is safe to assume that you are not trading away a top 20 prospect in your organization (Hendry Mendez) for a part-time player. But in an odd twist, the Phillies did not start Bader in their lineup on Friday, August 1st, and have sent Johan Rojas to the Minor Leagues.
Bader has a better On-Base Percentage and better Slugging Percentage than Kepler, Castellanos, Rojas, and Marsh. But the man with a 2.8 Wins Above Replacement is not starting yet for a team whose lineup has been dying for consistent hitting and depth behind the star players.
Overall, I would give Dombrowski a “B” Grade because he did his job in the most literal sense. He did make the Phillies better by acquiring a major upgrade for the bullpen and adding a right-handed bat who can play the outfield.
But Dombrowski does not understand what every Phillies fan sees when they watch their team every day on television or when they go to the ballpark:
MAX KEPLER IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH
Dombrowski seems to be more concerned about “being right” about the half a billion dollars he has committed to this lineup than bailing on a player who has not been worth the $10 million the Phillies are paying Kepler.
The Phillies organization has propagated the belief that this roster has the talent to win a World Championship, and their hitters have the talent to “slug their way” through the playoffs. But the Phillies fans have seen the offense go cold at the worst possible times in three straight MLB postseasons.
Hopefully, when you watch the Phillies playing in October at these great small businesses in South Jersey, none of these games will come down to Max Kepler coming up in a big moment to save the season:
Places in South Jersey to Watch Phillies Playoff Game (with the Sound On)