Philadelphia Phillies Brass Shows a Concerning Level of Complacency in Presser

The Philadelphia Phillies are happy with what they have, but they shouldn't be.

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Things are moving in the wrong direction with the Philadelphia Phillies after the team took another step back in the postseason, being eliminated earlier than they had in past two years.

In 2022, the Phillies made an improbable run to the World Series as an 87-win team from the Wild Card round, and last season they went to Game 7 of the NLCS from the same place after winning 90 games. In 2024, Philadelphia won 95 games and won the NL East for the first time since 2011, but it made no difference in the final result and the team won just one postseason game, falling in the NLDS in four games to the New York Mets.

Despite the disturbing trend of the offense dying in the playoffs, the bullpen imploding against New York, and another disappointing finish, the message that the product is not good enough doesn't seem to get through to the ones making the decisions. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager Rob Thomson, who inexplicably received an extension through 2026 after the collapse, took the podium this week and it seems they are satisfied with the way things are going.

Dombrowski offered nothing but generalizations, simply saying the outfield needs to be upgraded but in the same breath saying that the team does not need any more 'star' players despite the fact that the biggest star in free agency in Juan Soto plays the outfield and is former teammates with Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Trea Turner. Citing the fact that the team won 95 games and won the division while having eight All Stars already on the roster does not explain why Philadelphia lost in their first playoff series after their best regular season in a decade and a half.

Thomson said the team has a great roster and simply 'ran into the hottest team in baseball', but that doesn't address the fact that an offense that died at the most inopportune times to cause the team to fall short of the goal.

Both Thomson and Dombrowski try to say that winning the World Series is the standard, but the attitude from those who set that standard and lack of desire for any action don't match up with their hollow words. With Thomson still under contract through 2025 before the extension, there was no reason for Dombrowski to extend him now.

Yet, though he won't admit it, the team is satisfied with mediocrity and happy to simply be relevant. There is a reeking stench of complacency in Philadelphia, and there doesn't seem to be any urgency to fix it. Perhaps the moves this offseason will prove that theory to be incorrect, but Phillies brass certainly hasn't given fans any reason to think that will be the case.