Dave Dombrowski on how a quiet offseason was all part of the Phillies’ masterplan

At the beginning of the offseason, emotions were mixed when it came to the Philadelphia Phillies. After World Series heartbreak in 2022 and a disappointing end to the playoffs one year later, there was plenty of room for speculation when it came to the offseason ahead. But as the green flag dropped and the days turned into weeks, the Phils sat idle. Was there some kind of big masterplan that fans weren’t seeing?

Fast forward a few months and the Phillies are on top of the world. They are the premier team in the National League with an array of dominant starting pitchers who are all going to be Cy Young front-runners this year, along with an offense that can flick the switch and blow a game out of the water at any given moment.

The question when examining this success shouldn’t be ‘what changed?’ But rather, ‘what didn’t?’

Dave Dombrowski’s aim this offseason wasn’t to go star-hunting. The Phils had done a great job of bringing in elite-level players in the years beforehand and the core was very strong. What would truly take that team to the next level required patience and a focus on sustaining this newly-improved postseason floor where a World Series is within grasp every year.

With the top of the roster secured, Dave Dombrowski got to work. He secured extensions for Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler to ensure the quality of pitching remains remarkable for years to come, before turning his attention elsewhere.

Developing young talents should be at the core of every baseball team, but it’s easy for that to be overshadowed when the pressure to succeed mounts up. For teams on the cusp of a playoff berth or only a few pieces away from a stacked roster, it’s easy to mortgage the future and gamble on the ability of those top-end stars. Dombrowski understands that the difference between a good roster and a great one is being able to find young players and provide a foundation for them to come in and get better.

With a group of strong leaders well positioned to mentor the up and coming stars that the Phils have invested in, it was only a matter of time before big returns started to yield. With the All-Star break on the horizon, the Phillies are the talk of the town. You could make the argument that 6+ players could all receive All-Star nods, the grid for the Cy Young Award is being dominated by Phillies pitchers, and the vibes are once again immaculate.

The difference now is that the team has focused on culture. After a World Series heartbreak in 2022 and a 2023 playoff campaign that left plenty of meat on the bone, the Phillies are hungry to get back to the World Series and put things right. 

How high is the ceiling for this Phillies team? It’s hard to really put a cap on it, and that’s the scary part. With a rich culture that entrusts young players to be themselves and features leaders who only want to see the team get better on a daily basis, the trajectory of this team is incredibly exciting.