Dave Dombrowski pushes back against Phillies' farm system criticism originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
In recent years, the Philadelphia Phillies' farm system has received some scathing remarks, as it's been called one of the weaker farm systems in baseball.
Routinely, the Phillies have one of MLB's lowest-ranked farm systems. It's not just because of the prospects they're trading away, but the ones they currently have in the system aren't viewed highly around baseball.
Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations, is pushing back against that narrative. USA Today's Bob Nightengale shared a comment from Dombrowski, who pushed back against the criticism levied against the Phillies' farm system.
"We could have traded for anybody at the deadline if we had given up more prospects," Dombrowski said. "Some guys, we chose not to trade. What's amazing is that people criticize our farm system, but we've had [Justin] Crawford come up. We've had [Andrew] Painter come up. We've had Alex [McFarlane] come up. We've always had prospects to make trades. The reality is that I've never been in a spot where I couldn't make a trade because of prospects."

#dombrowski #dave

Phillies executive remains confident in Trea Turner's defensive skills originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
While Trea Turner has been reliable from the batter's box, slashing .250/.299/.404 with 16 home runs, the same can't be said for his work on the defensive side of the field. It's an area that sees the Philadelphia Phillies' shortstop put up some rather lackluster performances, recording the second-highest errors in the league (18) for players at any position, while ranking in the bottom ten for putouts by a shortstop (83).
These numbers are one thing, but it's worth noting that they are the makeup of one of the more critical sides to Turner's defensive statistics; he has the lowest fielding percentage among shortstops in the league, .954, which ranks fourth among all players at the time of writing. Some of the more advanced metrics would indicate that Turner has been more than costly in the field, having a defensive runs saved of -14, meaning he's been quite the detriment to his team throughout the season.
All of this is to say that the three-time All-Star has been struggling throughout the campaign, but it's worth highlighting that he has the full support of the Phillies' President of Baseball Operations, Dave Dombrowski.
Prior to Monday night's series opener against the Washington Nationals, Dombrowski spoke to the press about Turner's defensive development and apparent slump, something he isn't all that concerned about at the moment.

#defensive #trea #runs #shortstop

The market's top rental bat is reportedly off the board. Contact wizard Luis Arraez is heading from San Francisco to Philadelphia, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The 29-year-old Venezuelan has been one of the game's most unique position players for a while now. He strikes out and whiffs less often than anyone, but also barrels the ball up less than anyone. Call him a throwback, call him an old soul, call him overrated, but Arraez is a phenomenal change of pace for a Phillies lineup that strikes out far too often.
Since the beginning of time, it seems, the Phillies and their president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski have been searching for a right-handed outfielder come deadline time. Arraez, a lefty infielder, is neither of those things, but he's good enough with the stick that the defensive fit is a secondary concern.
But it's still an area Dombrowski and skipper Don Mattingly need to get sorted. For the past few seasons, Philly has had a static infield alignment of Bryce Harper at first, Bryson Stott at second, Trea Turner at short and Alec Bohm at third. Kyle Schwarber's presence keeps the DH spot clogged up with home runs. Arraez has been adamant about staying at second base ahead of another trip to free agency this winter. So how does he slot in? There are a bevy of options.
Harper, as recently as last week, expressed a willingness to move back to the outfield, where he spent the early years of his career. That would push Bohm to first, Stott to third and give Arraez the everyday second base job. Bohm could also move to the bench, or get dealt elsewhere before Monday's 6 p.m. ET deadline. Another path, as reported by The Athletic's Matt Gelb, would be trying the fleet-footed Stott in the outfield.
It wasn't that long ago — literally last winter — that Arraez was considered a below-average first baseman. But he signed with the Giants, in part, to prove that he could still handle the keystone, which he has. Still, it's worth noting he's graded out closer to average over the past few months following an elite defensive April.

#bohm #call

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 14: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on from the dugout prior to the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Denis Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Phillies entered the trade deadline knowing that incremental moves were unlikely to be enough. After weeks of inconsistent play and growing pressure in the National League Wild Card race, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski faced increasing pressure to dramatically reshape the roster around a core still built to contend.
And the executive, known for a history of significant trades, delivered with a blockbuster move to fortify the batting order on Monday.
Brewers Skipper Sends 4-Word Dodgers Message After Blockbuster Tarik Skubal Trade
Just a few hours before the trade deadline was reached, news surfaced that the Phillies had acquired perennial batting champion Luis Arraez from the San Francisco Giants. The move instantly answered questions about how Dombrowski would upgrade the offense, but it also raised some questions about the team's future defensive alignment.

#Phillies #move

Phillies predicted to make two pitcher deals by MLB trade deadline originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Philadelphia Phillies have yet to make a single trade ahead of the MLB trade deadline, as Dave Dombrowski is still weighing his options.
But the needs for this team are clear. An upgrade in the infield and outfield would be nice, and it's become apparent this team needs to add to its pitching staff.
ESPN insider Buster Olney is predicting that the Phillies will make two pitcher trades, one for a reliever and another for a starter, by the MLB trade deadline on Monday.
In predicting what some teams will do by this year's deadline, Olney noted, "The Phillies will add a starting pitcher and a reliever."

#trade #deadline #sporting #olney

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 08: Trea Turner # 7 of the Philadelphia Phillies and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski smile during their press conference at Citizens Bank Park on December 8, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has spent decades around winning baseball clubs, so he understands that the moments immediately following a crushing loss can reveal just as much about a team's direction as any trade or transaction.
After another frustrating defeat for the Phillies on Friday at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles, the veteran executive delivered a message that didn't require a press conference. Instead, it came through a simple gesture toward the club's biggest star.
Cardinals Veteran Offers 3-Word Response On 'Reinforcements' Trade
The Phillies had another opportunity slip away Friday night in brutal fashion as the bullpen gave up a lead, continuing a stretch that has placed increasing pressure on a club once viewed as a clear National League contender.

#Phillies #Baseball #veteran

CINCINNATI (AP) — Don Mattingly expressed interest in returning as the Philadelphia Phillies' manager next season if he was approached by the front office.
"Oh, I would do it," Mattingly said during an interview with ESPN before an 11-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night. "I committed myself to two years with the Phillies when I came over. So whatever (president of baseball operations) Dave (Dombrowski) wants to do in that regard.
"But yeah, I think I would like to do it."
Mattingly joined the Phillies in January as their bench coach after three seasons in the same role with Toronto. He was elevated to interim manager on April 28 after Rob Thomson was fired.
Philadelphia was 9-19 this season under Thomson, but has gone 43-22 under Mattingly — the second-best mark in the majors since he took over.

Even with the MLB trade deadline pushed back to August 3 this year, July still represents the time of year when everyone talks about trades. The Phillies’ 40-20 stretch under interim manager Don Mattingly has catapulted them into buying territory as a team with World Series aspirations. Their expectations for playing deep into October are still the same and reinforcements might go a long way.
Under Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies have typically waited until the day of to make trades. They did get Carlos Estevez multiple days before the deadline and Jhoan Duran the day before in back-to-back seasons but they still generally take things down to the wire.
Assuming that, there is roughly a month from the time of this writing until the deadline. So, here are three things to watch for prior to the deadline.
Orioles, Mets, Giants
These three teams entered the season with playoff aspirations. The Baltimore Orioles added Pete Alonso, Taylor Ward, and Shane Baz for a bounce-back season but are eight games under .500 on July 3 and five games out of a playoff spot.