Former GM Claims Phillies 'Crushed' Trade Deadline Despite Criticism

Even though there have been a lot of criticism surrounding what the Philadelphia Phillies did at the trade deadline, one former general manager thinks they actually did well.

Apr 10, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski before game against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies have one of the most complete rosters in Major League Baseball.

That has been known throughout the year as past offseasons have seen this roster get stacked with superstar talent after superstar talent. The emergence of some young players have filled in the holes across this lineup, starting rotation, and in the bullpen.

But when going after a World Series, the goal of the front office is minimize any weakness their team might have.

For the Phillies, that was hard to pinpoint.

However, all year it had been known Dave Dombrowski was interested in adding another outfielder to the mix, seemingly uncomfortable with Johan Rojas' lack of offensive development, Brandon Marsh's horrendous splits against left-handed pitching, and a bench that wasn't strong.

Because Philadelphia has been aggressive in this era of their franchise, multiple star players were thrown out there as potential targets of the front office.

Whether it was Luis Robert Jr., Randy Arozarena, Jazz Chisholm, or some other lesser-known batters putting together good seasons, the sentiment was they would land at least one of them.

Instead, Dombrowski took a different approach, bringing in Austin Hays as their solo lineup addition.

The aggressive nature was shown when they acquired star closer Carlos Estevez, giving up two of their top prospects to get that done, but after they traded for another reliever and shipped out a couple of their own, many were disappointed by what the Phillies accomplished.

Their current form doesn't quiet any of those concerns, as they've lost five series in a row and look like a completely different team than the one who had dominated their competition for the majority of the season.

But amid the criticism that Dombrowski is receiving, former MLB general manager Jim Bowden thinks they actually had a good deadline, giving them an A- grade.

"Future Hall of Fame executive Dave Dombrowski crushed yet another trade deadline, acquiring exactly what his team needed ... They might not be the sexiest names, but they are what the Phillies needed," he wrote in a piece for The Athletic.

It's hard to argue with that.

Sure, they could have gone out and unloaded their farm system to bring in someone like Arozarena or Robert to give this team a boost.

That doesn't necessarily mean they would have been guaranteed a championship, though.

Philadelphia has shown that their current group is built for deep playoff runs, having made the World Series in 2022 and were one win away from going back in 2023.

Hays is an All-Star caliber player who they didn't have in the mix before, Estevez gives them a legitimate closer they have been lacking, and they have gotten off to this incredible start without Nick Castellanos or Bryson Stott playing at a high level.

If the players who are currently slumping, which feels like all of them right now, start turning things around, then this roster has more than enough to win a World Series title despite not making a blockbuster move.