The Philadelphia Phillies watched their once-promising season collapse in the final month. They finished September with a 10-14 record before the Atlanta Braves knocked them out in the National League Wild Card series.
It was a disappointing end for a veteran team that had World Series expectations before the season. One person who has to answer for the Phillies’ struggles is President of Baseball Operations, Dave Dombrowski.
In his postseason action report, Dombrowski answered questions about the team and the moves he may make this offseason. According to NBC Sports Philadelphia, Dombrowski laid out a plan of moves he will look into for the Phillies.
Dombrowski said, “We’ll get some more starting pitching depth. I think we need to look at our bullpen…the other part of it is that our offense needs to be better. We were not good on an offensive basis this year; we only had two players that were above average.”
Dave Dombrowski responded at his end-of-season press conference.
Phillies Set for a Plethora of Changes
There is no question the Phillies underwhelmed offensively. As much as they are paying Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto, they need to see more return on their investment. Both players have an OPS under .700, which is below average across the league.
One move that has already happened is the firing of hitting coach Kevin Long. The Phillies needed a new voice to help create a better approach at the plate. But at the end of the day, no matter who the hitting coach is, the results will always come down to the players.
Dombrowski also mentioned that the team will look to give its veteran players more days off. To do that, they must improve their depth. They need a new backup catcher who can provide some offensive production, and they’ll also need another utility man if they can’t bring back Edmundo Sosa.
The only spot on the team where most people feel good is the starting pitching. But they need to do a lot of work with the bullpen. The only player safe in his role is closer Jhoan Duran. He is coming off a 33-save season, but getting the ball to him in the 9th inning has been a problem. Look for Dombrowski to be aggressive in adding talented players to the bullpen and lineup.
The Phillies seem miles away from the league’s top teams. Their window to win is almost closed, and this offseason could decide whether the Phillies are contenders or pretenders in 2027.
Dave Dombrowski Lays Out Plan to Improve Phillies Roster