Chasing the Ball

by Marc Narducci | Oct 18, 2024
Chasing the Ball
Dave Dombrowski has enjoyed a celebrated career as an executive, guiding three teams—the Miami (formerly Florida) Marlins, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox to the World Series. He won a World Series title with the Marlins and Red Sox. 

Dombrowski was named the Phillies president of baseball operations on Dec. 11, 2020. On paper, the team has improved in each of his four regular seasons, but have done the opposite in the last three postseasons. Here is the team record:

2021: 82-80 (no playoff)

2022: 85-74 (lost in the World Series 4-2 to Houston)

2023: 90-72 (lost in the NLCS, 4-3 to Arizona)

2024: 95-67 (lost in the NLDS, 3-1 to the NY Mets)

Like all executives, Dombrowski has enjoyed his hits and misses, but he needs a better batting average for the Phillies to be a viable World Series contender. 

We will only judge him on the current players on the team.

Here are his best moves:

Signing Kyle Schwarber to a four-year, $79 million deal that has one year remaining. The Phillies have made the playoffs in each of Schwarber’s three seasons, and he has proven to be a solid, if unconventional leadoff hitter. In his three seasons he has hit .221/.344/.488 and averaged 43.3 home runs, 100.6 RBI and 106 runs scored. He has also hit 12 postseason home runs. 

Acquired INF Edmundo Sosa from St. Louis for JoJo Romero.  Sosa has been a solid contributor and has filled in admirably when Trea Turner has been injured. He has hit .259/.306/.440 while providing strong defense whether at short, third or second base. 

After he was released by Minnesota, Dombrowski signed reliever Jeff Hoffman. Before his playoff meltdown, Hoffman has been highly productive in his two seasons with the Phillies. In 122 games, he has a 2.28 ERA and a 184 ERA+. This past season he was an All-Star.

Signed reliever Matt Strahm as a free agent. Like Hoffman, before this year’s postseason, Strahm has been highly effective in his two seasons, with a 2.56 ERA and 156 ERA+ in 122 appearances. He was named an All-Star this past season. 

Here are some of his regrettable moves in no particular order. Some are subject to debate, but others are no-doubters.

Signing Trea Truner to an 11-year, $300 million deal. In two seasons he has hit .279/.328/463, and has gone into some deep slumps while committing 40 errors. Over the last two playoff series, the 7-game loss in the NLCS last year to Arizona and this year’s 3-1 loss to the Mets in the NLDS, he has batted .200 with nine strikeouts in 46 at bats.

Signing Taijuan Walker to a four year, $72 million deal. Not much needs to be said, this was a disastrous signing, and he has two years left on his deal. 

Trading Seranthony Dominiquez and Cristian Pache to Baltimore for Austin Hays. While Dominiquez continued his inconsistent pitching in Baltimore and Pache was released by Baltimore, Hays had injury problems and even when healthy, he wasn’t the hitter the Phillies envisioned, 

Trading two minor league prospects to the Los Angeles Angels for reliever Carlos Estevez.  The hard-throwing RHP was inconsistent and will always be known as the person who surrendered the grand slam to Francisco Lindor in the 4-1 NLDS deciding loss to the NY Mets. 

Trading catcher Logan O’Hoppe to the Angels for Brandon Marsh. Marsh has continued to struggle against left handed pitching. In 90 plate appearances and 78 at-bats this season, he hit 192/.270/282 in the NLDS loss to the Mets, Marsh went 1-for-13 (.077). 

Signing Nick Castellanos to a five-year $100 million deal. While Castellanos hit well in this year’s playoffs—.412/.412/.647—he has been wildly inconsistent. For instance, in last year’s NLCS, he hit .042/.111/.167. During his three Phillie seasons, he has hit .263/309/.435. He has averaged 21.6 home runs and 84.6 RBI. These are OK stats, but not worth what they are paying him. Castellanos would be hard to deal with $40 million remaining on the final two years of his deal.

Photo: Citizens Bank Park / Shutterstock

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Author: Marc Narducci

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