News and rumors regarding the Phillies 12/8: Dave Dombrowski had “fewest conversations” during his career’s Winter Meetings.
Dave Dombrowski’s Winter Meetings were quiet. (Pursall, Cheryl)
The Phillies concluded the baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville on Wednesday without creating much of a stir.
That is not typical for this Philadelphia team, led by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, which has recently been a major player in the trade market and free agency. Although the seasoned executive has a reputation for being combative, one of the most well-known writers and reporters in the game claims that “Trader Dave” had his “most laid-back” Winter Meetings ever.
Jayson Stark of The Athletic stated, “I’ve known Dave forever,” during a Thursday radio appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic. “.. He attends the Winter Meetings since he’s been this Dave Dombrowski, and he’s a man with a plan. This man was an entirely different person.
Dombrowski is renowned for his bold decisions. He has led the Phillies’ baseball operations since December 2020. He had, in a sense, already made his major splash when, just a month ago, he re-signed Aaron Nola to a seven-year deal. The two-time World Series champion seems to have faith in the Phillies core, which has advanced to the National League Championship Series and the World Series in the previous two seasons, respectively.
Therefore, Dombrowski was not really in the discussions as big names like Eduardo Rodríguez, a free agent, and Juan Soto, who was in trade talks, flew around at the meetings.
“Upon his arrival, he had completed the Nola transaction and was aware that the actions he needed to take at this time would not be feasible,” Stark remarked. “He passed the Winter Meetings with relative ease. Even he acknowledged that there may not have been as many talks with other teams as he had in the past during any Winter Meetings.
Stark claims that the Phillies have faith in the younger players on this roster to keep improving and that they are dedicated to this group. That might be a risky wager given the significant progress players like Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh made the previous season. But as the Phillies try to win their first championship since 2008, the team will ride with this core group of contributors and their star power.
Later in the offseason, more depth additions are planned, and Stark claims Philadelphia is committed to extending star Zack Wheeler, whose contract expires in one year. If Wheeler is extended, it will probably happen closer to the beginning of the 2024 season in order to account for the luxury tax.
Overall though, the Phillies of next season will probably resemble the team that lost to the Diamondbacks in the NLCS, which is a testament to Dombrowski’s faith in the group he helped assemble.
