Dombrowski inks deal to remain president
The Phillies have extended the contract of president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski for three years, the team announced on Tuesday.
Dombrowski, who signed a fouryear deal with the Phillies in 2020, is now under contract through the 2027 season.
In 2022, Dombrowski’s second season with the Phillies, he led the team to its first playoff berth since 2011 and its first World Series appearance since 2009. Dombrowski is the only head of a baseball operations department to lead four different teams to the World Series.
“I am excited to sign a contract extension with the Phillies,” Dombrowski said in a team press release. “This is a great organization and I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by such tremendous personnel. We have made significant strides in many areas of baseball operations over the last couple of years, and I am committed to building upon them to form a championship organization for the city and our incredible fan base.
“I would like to express my gratitude to [managing partner] John Middleton for extending this opportunity to me. He is an amazing owner who is so eager to bring a world championship back to Philadelphia, and I look forward to the challenge of achieving that goal. Additionally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how well the Middleton and Buck families treat the personnel in our organization and how much they appreciate our passionate fans. They make Philadelphia a very special place to be.”
Dombrowski, 66, has also worked at the helm of the baseball operations departments for the Montreal Expos (1988-91), Florida Marlins (1991-2001), Detroit Tigers (2001-15) and Boston Red Sox (2015-19).
In his 33 years working as either a president or a general manager, his teams have made the playoffs 10 times and have won the World Series twice.
When Dombrowski was hired by Middleton in 2020, the Phillies were what he called a “top-heavy organization.” They had big-name free agents but were built on a poor foundation. After six months of observation, Dombrowski made widespread personnel changes, most notably removing Josh Bonifay as farm director. Bonifay was replaced by Preston Mattingly, who has since brought a complete culture change to the Phillies’ player development system that hinges on a blend between “old school and new school.”
The Phillies’ newfound depth sustained them through the absence of some of their big-name players like Bryce Harper, Jean Segura, and Nick Castellanos in 2022. It ultimately helped them reach the playoffs, and there is more help on the way with top pitching prospects Andrew Painter, Mick Abel, and Griff McGarry scheduled to head to Clearwater for big league spring training in 2023.
The Phillies hope that with this combination of a solid foundation and star-studded talent, they’ll be able to win their first World Series since 2008 and their third in franchise history.
“We are extremely pleased that Dave has agreed to continue to lead our baseball operations department through the 2027 season,” Middleton said. “His astute knowledge of the game and keen eye for talent set us on a path to win the National League pennant. I firmly believe that under his stewardship, we will reach our ultimate goal.”