Phillies

I’m Not Sure Dave Dombrowski Said Anything Wrong at End-of-Season Press Conference

By Nick Piccone

Published: Oct 17th, 2025 · 9:47 AM EDT

---

During Thursday’s press conference with Phillies’ President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski and returning manager Rob Thomson, things were said that raised some eyebrows around the city. Perhaps the biggest reaction came from Dombrowski’s comments on Bryce Harper, but I’m not exactly surprised. In fact, it’s kind of refreshing to hear him kind of publicly state that Harper’s year, while statistically good, wasn’t the kind of year we expect from someone like Bryce Harper. Whether the off-field stuff [anextension request] plays into that, doesn’t really matter to me.

If you’re watching the NLCS now – and let’s be real, a lot of people in the Philly area have already given up baseball until March – you see just how dominant the Dodgers’ pitching has been. As good as the Phillies’ pitching had been all year, the Dodgers’ plan of basically saving all of their best for October is certainly working quite well right now. And I don’t mean to be that guy, but the Phillies tested the Dodgers way more than the Brewers are now, and way more than the Reds did in the opening round. They easily could have won the three games they lost, and handily won the game that they won.

We’ve said it for a few years now. All that matters is if the bats are hot in October. That is their best chance to win. And losing to the Dodgers in the NLDS in four games was very different than how they lost to the Diamondbacks in 2023 and Mets in 2024 despite the bats failing them. The odds that the bats would’ve warmed up against any team other than the Dodgers is probably higher than you think. Look at what they’re doing to the Brewers. Look at what they did to the Reds. Their pitching plan right now is being played to perfection.

That’s why I still think the best path forward is to bring most of this team back. Make some tweaks. Maybe Justin Crawford is in the majors from day 1 in 2026. Aidan Miller and Andrew Painter are not far behind. They need to re-sign Kyle Schwarber. They need to re-sign J.T. Realmuto. And, honestly, I think they absolutely need to re-sign Ranger Suárez. When you have a pitcher who’s succeeded at the Major League level, it makes no sense to me to let him walk. Maybe he’s a half-season pitcher. Who cares? Re-sign him.

The Phillies almost certainly will infuse the main roster with some youth in 2026. The outfield should look completely different. That doesn’t do any of us good right now, looking back at the 2025 season, but it’s what should be done. I understand why people aren’t exactly bullish on that idea today, but it’s their best chance at a championship in 2026. And what better way to celebrate America’s 250th birthday than a parade down Broad Street?