Jul 21, 2024; Cooperstown, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies General Manager Dave Dombrowski poses for a photo prior to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown, NY. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Disgruntled Phillies fans may not believe it, but their team's front office is regarded around baseball as one of the best in the sport.
The Athletic reported Wednesday ($) that, based on a poll of 40 executives and coaches around the league, the Phillies front office is considered the sixth-best MLB organization. That spot ties them with the Atlanta Braves, and places them behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers (ranked first), Tampa Bay Rays (second), Milwaukee Brewers (third), Cleveland Guardians (fourth), and New York Yankees (fifth).
The high opinion of the Phillies organization seems to be based primarily on the respect Dave Dombrowski enjoys among his peers. From The Athletic's piece:
"The Phillies have raised their win total in each of Dave Dombrowski’s four seasons – from 82 to 87 to 90 to 95 – burnishing a resume his peers believe is Cooperstown-worthy. 'No matter what market he’s in, he wins,' one NL GM said. 'Think of how much the game has changed in the last 40 years… massive change, and he’s still had success everywhere he’s been.'
"Another official noted that Dombrowski has managed to fortify his roster without giving up his best prospects: 'Have they made some bad free-agent signings? Sure, I guess, one out of every five. But they don’t swing and miss that often and they never miss on trades. Ever. They evaluate their own players better than anyone. When was the last time Dave got burned on a young prospect? It just doesn’t happen.'"
Meanwhile, in Philadelphia:
This @Phillies team is just awful. Dombrowski has done absolutely nothing to make them a better team, his trades have been awful. I really wish I didn’t renew my partial ticket plan this year. There is no way this team even gets close to the playoffs.
Dave Dombrowski’s main goal this off-season was to fix the outfield.
And this is what we got…..
What a joke. #Phillies #RingTheBell
It’s time to admit this Phillies team is not good. Dombrowski really fucked up this offseason by not making a damn move to the lineup
The truth is, reasonable people can disagree over Dombrowski's time with the Phillies. The anonymous execs make some fair points: Dombrowski has certainly found success all around the league, he has hit on most of his free-agent signings, and the Phils haven't been significantly burned by the loss of a prospect.
On the other hand, of course, the Phillies haven't won a World Series with Dombrowski's group, the club's roster construction often feels like it's somehow less than the sum of its individual parts, and by holding on to the organization's best prospects the Phils may have missed out on acquiring a veteran to put them over the top.
Maybe Dombrowski should’ve traded for more than AUSTIN HAYS at the deadline
Phillies fans will ultimately judge Dombrowski's front office based on whether the team wins it all during his tenure. But it's comforting to learn that others in the industry think the Phils are well-positioned to do just that.
