Dave Dombrowski doesn’t have the luxury of sitting still this week.
The Phillies president of baseball operations has a roster that needs real work, and the clock is ticking before the expected lockout shuts everything down. That makes the general managers’ meetings more than just a routine offseason gathering. For Philadelphia, they’re a chance to get moving before the sport hits pause.
Normally, the GM meetings are a quieter stop on the baseball calendar. The 30 clubs’ top executives meet after the World Series, talk shop, and lay groundwork for the winter ahead.
This year, though, the setting carries more weight because of what’s coming next. MLB’s owners are expected to lock out the players at midnight on December 2nd, and there’s growing concern that the 2027 season could be delayed or even threatened if the labor fight stretches on.
If that happens, teams could lose the stretch of the offseason when most free-agent deals and trades usually get done. That’s why this week matters so much for Dombrowski. He has a window now, and he needs to use it.
The Phillies have plenty of needs to sort through. Starting pitching is the one area that appears relatively stable, though even there, more depth would help. Elsewhere, the list is long: a backup catcher, a new third baseman, multiple outfielders, and a bullpen that needs a reset.
Not every problem will be solved in one week, and maybe not even this winter. But landing a couple of meaningful additions now would at least give Philadelphia a head start before the shutdown begins.
This is a roster that needs creativity, and Dombrowski will have to show plenty of it. Making a flurry of moves this soon after the season isn’t standard operating procedure.
Then again, nothing about this offseason is standard. If the Phillies want to get where they’re trying to go, they can’t afford to wait around.
In Other News...
Phillies Just Added To A Roster Battle Fans Will Watch Closely
The Phillies have added another name to a spring training competition that figures to draw plenty of attention behind the plate. They agreed to a minor league contract with catcher Brian Navarreto, and the deal includes an invitation to major league camp, giving the organization another experienced option as it tries to sort out its catching depth for the coming season.
Navarreto brings MLB experience from his time with the Miami Marlins, and his presence fits neatly into the Phillies broader plan to lighten J.T. Realmutos workload while strengthening the backup situation. For now, the most likely path has him opening the season in Triple-A, where his roster flexibility and minor league options give Philadelphia some useful cover as the battle for catching innings takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Could Find Cheap Help In A Market Dombrowski Loves
With the deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players now behind them, the Phillies are entering the next stretch of the offseason with a familiar kind of opportunity. The lockout-era scramble often creates a market for cheap help, and that is the sort of window Dave Dombrowski has never been shy about exploring. A handful of non-tender candidates have already surfaced as possible fits, giving Philadelphia a chance to shop for upside while other clubs sort through roster crunches.
Among the names worth monitoring are Andrew Nardi, Logan OHoppe, Mark Vientos, Camilo Doval, Joey Bart and Nolan Gorman, a group that reflects both the uncertainty and the appeal of this market. Some come with recent production, others with obvious tools and room to grow, and all of them could help fill holes if the Phillies decide to get aggressive. The challenge now is less about identifying the possibilities than figuring out which of them can be pried loose before the free-agent scramble settles down. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Trade Urgency Now Centers On One Tough Prospect Decision
Dave Dombrowski is heading into the offseason with a familiar kind of pressure, and this time it may lead the Phillies toward a difficult prospect decision. Philadelphia is expected to be active in trying to improve the roster, and one of the clearest ways to do that could be dealing from a surplus of shortstop talent. Aidan Miller, Bryan Rincon and Tyler Spangler all sit in that conversation, giving the club a cluster of young players it can use to chase help elsewhere.
The complication is that not every name carries the same value or the same long-term fit. Millers health is a concern, while the defensive future for Miller and Spangler is not entirely settled, which makes the calculus more complicated than simply picking the best prospect and moving on. For a team trying to stay in win-now mode without emptying the pipeline, the Phillies have to decide how much future certainty they are willing to sacrifice for an immediate upgrade. [Read more 🡒]