The Philadelphia Phillies hired former President of the Boston Red Sox Dave Dombrowski on Thursday, ending their nine-week search for a new leading voice in the front office. Dombrowski brings a winning pedigree to the Phillies organization that has been sorely missed in the 2010s. Dombrowski won a World Series title with the then Florida Marlins and Red Sox and his Detroit Tigers teams appeared in two themselves. The Phillies are the owners of the longest playoff drought in the National League (9 years) and have not finished above .500 since 2011. The hiring of Dombrowski puts both of those streaks in serious jeopardy. Dave Dombrowski is a winner, and the Phillies are expressing their intentions for the foreseeable future with this hire.
2020 Offseason Pre-Dombrowski Hire
All offseason, Phillies principal owner John Middleton has said that the team is looking to cut payroll. Middleton reportedly told his baseball people that the club lost almost $2 billion last season. The actual number turned out to be around $145 million.
This baseball team is so full of it. pic.twitter.com/k0SWtb3ety
— Jack Fritz (@JackFritzWIP) November 28, 2020
Philadelphia fans and media alike were quick to criticize Middleton. Only two years ago, he dropped his now infamous, “stupid money” quote when referring to his team’s spending in free agency. This led many to believe that the Phillies were out of the running to resign all-star catcher JT Realmuto. Realmuto, acquired in the same offseason as Bryce Harper, is perhaps the best catcher in baseball, and among the biggest free agents this offseason. This was followed up by a report that the Phillies were actively shopping starting pitcher Zack Wheeler, only a year after signing him in free agency. Middleton quickly denied those rumors, but of course, had to add that he would not trade Wheeler for Babe Ruth.
Phillies owner John Middleton to @Buster_ESPN: “If they offered me Babe Ruth, I wouldn’t trade” Zack Wheeler: https://t.co/ETB9KWo3Uq
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 6, 2020
Zack Wheeler, unlike Babe Ruth, is alive, so this tracks, but as far as rhetorical devices go, this is quite something for an owner to say.
All in all, the 2020 offseason had been a poor one from a PR perspective for the Phillies. Enter Dave Dombrowski. With Dombrowski at the helm, the Phillies gain instant respect at the negotiating table with free agents and other teams in trade talks alike.
2020 Offseason Post-Dombrowski Hire
Even before Dombrowski was officially announced, Phillies fans were seeing a brighter future for the franchise. The hiring of Dave Dombrowski comes with certain expectations, at the forefront of those expectations, winning. Dombrowski comes in and does whatever is necessary to get his teams to the playoffs. He has a reputation for selling prospects and mortgaging the team’s future, but it leads to wins. In 12 full seasons since 2006, Dombrowski led teams have won their division on seven separate occasions and have been to the World Series three times.
Phillies fans may be worried about the future after Dombrowski, but for now, Dave Dombrowski’s arrival in Philadelphia has put the rest of the league on notice. This Phillies are going all-in, and with Dombrowski at the helm, good times are coming in Philadelphia.
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