It took roughly two weeks for Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski to address the media after Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves ended their season. Dombrowski answered questions for slightly less than an hour on wide ranging issues between Trea Turner, the coaching staff, and the farm system. They really like Bryan Rincon.
Anyway, here are some notes/takeaways to gather as the Phillies head into what looks to be a long winter.Here is a link to the press conference if you want
to watch it yourself.
The Phillies want to improve the defense… but also not really
Right away, Dombrowski addressed that Trea Turner would need to improve at shortstop but the plan is to keep him there to start 2027.Dombrowski also mentioned that Turner would prefer staying on the infield so the most likely spot he would move to is second base. He has played a career 729.1 innings at second base, grading out as a plus defender. He has not played there since the 2021 season after the Dodgers traded for him.
It’s probably the path of least resistance given everything. Two of the Phillies’ best prospects, Aidan Miller and Bryan Rincon, play shortstop but it’s hard to imagine either of them being ready right away. Miller only played in 4 minor league games this year andneeded to undergo a procedure in June for his recurring back issues.
Rincon took a big step forward in AA, more than doubling is isolated power from a year ago and would play a good shortstop in the majors on day one. However, it’s unclear how much the AA hitting environment inflated his power surge and he did not play in AAA yet.
Realistically, the Phillies would have to acquire someone outside the organization if Trea Turner wasn’t an option to open the season at shortstop. This path crosses that off, for now, and gives them flexibility for later. Will they actually go down that path in the middle of the season if they have to? Who knows.
Dombrowski sounded pretty confident in Justin Crawford and Derek Hill running the center field platoon again and that they think Crawford can improve out there defensively.
“I think Crawford and Hill are probably a really good combo as long as Crawford keeps growing”
While he was a rookie, Crawford graded out as one of the worst defensive center fielders in baseball. Among 29 players who played at least 500 innings in center field, Crawford ranked 24th in Outs Above Average and 27th in Defensive Runs Saved.
Both Dombrowski and Don Mattingly stressed improving the defense but if they’re not moving two of their biggest problems, how much better can they get?
Improving the lineup
Dave Dombrowski made it clear that they need to improve the offense and specifically said their only two above-average hitters were Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. Some of that will come from additions and some of it could be from “better decisions from an offensive perspective”.
They’re also confident Turner can bounce back offensively but he needs to improve his swing.
Dombrowski also mentioned the possibility of Aidan Miller specifically:
“I’m not going to put it on his back but we think a guy like Aidan Miller is a really really good player”
When it comes to making bigger splashes, Dombrowski did not close the door on spending for high impact options but it’s probably not going to be the only way he addresses the offense.
“We have a lot of high-salaried guys at this point, so I think you have to figure out which way you go. I don’t think it necessarily means signing all high-salaried guys but I do think we have the flexibility”
The Phillies offense ranked 28th in wRC+ last season and they just fired hitting coach Kevin Long so there are going to have to be many different ways to address the issue. All of them might be in play.
Bullpen Infrastructure
They have Jhoan Duran as the set closer, that’s not changing. They know they need to address the bullpen but also like some of the players they have.
“We do like [Jonathan] Bowlan. We like [Alex] McFarlane a great deal. And [Caleb] Killian we like so we do have a good foundation with the closer that we have”
Jhoan Duran, Alex McFarlane, and Jonathan Bowlan make up a good starting point for building a bullpen and while Caleb Kilian struggled,his season was cut short because of an oblique injury.
His answer about Orion Kerkering was less encouraging. It’s not hard to read between the lines here.
“He has the ability to turn it around. He’s got a good fastball, got a good sweeper, they’ve given him the splitter. He didn’t perform to those capabilities. Am I confident? I’m not going to go in there saying he’s going to be our setup guy or seventh inning guy. Do I think he can turn it around? I think he can but we’ll have to wait and see on that.”
Who could return
Tim Mayza agreed to a one-year deal worth $2.75 million to return to the club and maybe even started warming up in the bullpen to celebrate. The Phillies will have to rebuild their left handed relief depth and start that off by bringing back Mayza, who was Mattingly’s most stable southpaw over the entire season.
The only other internal free agent Dombrowski spoke glowingly about for a potential reunion was Luis Arraez.
“We like him. He did a good job. Second in the league in hitting… he’s a player that we like and did a nice job for us”
Arraez hit .310 with a .765 OPS overall as an everyday second baseman but he took a significant step back after the Phillies acquired him. You shouldn’t judge a player off only two months but he’s a tough player for this team to project.
Arraez turned himself into an everyday second baseman but was unplayable there prior to 2026. He played first base his entire stint with the Padres and for most of his career. If he cannot hold up defensively up the middle, the Philadelphia Phillies do not have the option of moving him over with Bryce Harper on the roster. Can’t DH him either with Kyle Schwarber.
The catcher situation
Stop me if you’ve heard this before but they want JT Realmuto to catch less games. I know, it’s crazy.
Dombrowski did mention creating more days off in general for veteran players and even wants Kyle Schwarber to play 30 games at first base next year.
For the catcher situation, they have to bet on JT Realmuto but need to play him less. They’re acknowledging why he hasn’t been afforded more days off. The backup options have not been good enough to justify it. They’re both great defensively, especially Rafael Marchán but they need more.
“We didn’t get enough offensive contributions from that spot and that’s something I need to look at”
“Could it be one of those guys? Perhaps but I also would look to see what other opportunities may be out there”
Don Mattingly and the coaching staff
Don Mattingly is no longer the interim manager or bench coach, announcing his two-year agreement to be the Phillies manager yesterday.
Dombrowski really liked the job Don Mattingly did and spoke about it multiple times. He gave a more in-depth answer about what Mattingly did to impact the squad later in the presser.
“It’s hard to find people more knowledgeable about baseball than Don Mattingly. He’s managed for a long time. He’s got a pulse for what takes place. I think he’s on top of issues. He’s a good communicator with the staff. Players respect him a great deal. He’s knows what it takes to be successful… He has a lot of fire in his belly too.”
The Phillies fired Bobby Dickerson and replaced him with former Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, who will also serve as the third-base coach. There was no announcement about what this meant for Anthony Contreras, who became the third base coach after Rob Thomson was fired and Dusty Wathan became Mattingly’s new bench coach.
They will also need a new hitting coach after firing Kevin Long, who is expected to receive interest from other clubs immediately.
While Long’s tenure was generally very successful, the Phillies had one of the worst lineups in baseball with significant steps back from several players. Trea Turner regressed hard, so did JT Realmuto. Brandon Marsh fell off a cliff in the second half of the season as one of Long’s best successes following a trade from the Los Angeles Angels at the 2022 trade deadline. The only hitter who was better from his 2025 season was Bryce Harper, everyone else took steps back.
Is that entirely on the hitting coach, especially for a veteran team? Almost certainly not, but a new voice and new ideas is something the players probably need. Both things can be true.
Farm System
Dave Dombrowski spoke highly of the Phillies’ farm system and the players they have coming. They already saw Andrew Painter take steps forward as the season went on and Justin Crawford never got demoted. He spoke glowingly about Aidan Miller and thinks he has the chance to be a “special” player.
Gage Wood and Bryan Rincon were other names he specifically mentioned in the presser. Francisco Renteria was also mentioned but he’s far away from the big leagues.
There was a lot covered in the presser and there are a lot of questions moving forward. They need a new hitting coach, need a new starting outfielder, need a starting infielder, need help in the bullpen. There is a lot that will be coming this winter.
