The Philadelphia Phillies may really be hurting themselves here.
Outside of re-signing Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto, the Philadelphia Phillies haven't done a whole lot in free agency this offseason.
Yes, they added Adolis Garcia and Brad Keller, but those really are just ancillary pieces. The Phillies needed another big bat to put alongside of Schwarber and Bryce Harper, and they haven't gotten it.
Philadelphia tried for Bo Bichette and thought it had the former Toronto Blue Jays slugger, but instead, Bichette spurned the Phillies for a short-term, high AAV contract with the New York Mets, a deal that contains a pair of opt outs over three years.
We are seeing opt outs in contracts more and more now. Alex Bregman did it with the Boston Red Sox last winter. Kyle Tucker signed a four-year pact with an opt out after the first year with the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this month.
Even the New York Yankees have apparently been willing to give Cody Bellinger opt outs in his next deal. But Philadelphia? It is remaining firm in its stance, and president Dave Dombrowski recently explained why.
Philadelphia Phillies president Dave Dombrowski. Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images.“I have never felt myself, and still don’t feel, that it’s a wise move to make,” Dombrowski said. “If the player has a bad year, they opt in. If they get hurt, they opt in ... if they opt out, it’s generally because they’ve had a good year.”
Dombrowski makes a good point, but in this modern market, you are really damaging your chances of signing big-name free agents if you refuse to offer opt outs.
I understand Dombrowski's thought process. Opt outs obviously favor the player. But if that is what the landscape dictates, then you have to adapt.
The Phillies lost out on Bichette because of their stubbornness, and to be perfectly honest, they may have been better off offering him a short-term deal rather than signing him for seven or eight years because of his defensive deficiencies.
Things are definitely changing in baseball, and those who don't figure out ways to roll with the changes will get left behind. Much like Philadelphia this winter.
The Phillies have posted back-to-back campaigns of 95-plus wins, but they were eliminated from the NLDS both years. And they really haven't gotten any better this offseason. In fact, one can argue that they've gotten worse.
It's time for Dombrowski to get with the times. Or else Philadelphia could be in serious danger of spiraling.
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