A large portion of the passionate Philadelphia Phillies fan base had become impatient in the offseason.
Phone calls into 94.1 WIP and 97.5 The Fanatic had numerous fans asking why the roster was virtually the same.
Where were the big free agent signings? Where were the trades?
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski recently appeared in a lengthy interview with WIP and touched on a variety of subjects including the status of improving the club.
Nothing appeared imminent.
Then, all of a sudden, the Phillies signed Whit Merrifield to a one-year, $8 million deal.
The lesson here is simple – Dombrowski generally doesn't stand pat. It may not always be a splashy move, but the longtime executive has proven to be active.
Not just in the offseason or spring training. But the entire year.
He's always searching.
"You can always get better," Dombrowski told reporters in Clearwater, Fla. "There's no perfect club. We like our club. We'll be open-minded, but I can't say that we're actively looking."
Oh, he's actively looking. Every executive tries to get better every day.
Now, Philadelphia doesn't have many spots open. In the fluid world of Major League Baseball, rosters can change quickly.
What if Brandon Marsh doesn't return in time from surgery on his knee?
What if a key starting pitcher or reliever gets hurt and needs six-to-eight weeks to recover?
There's always a Plan B for executives.
The Phillies could start the 2024 season with the roster that's assembled out of spring training. That's just fine because it's one of the best in the league.
Dombrowski's phone is always on. We've seen proof of that from past seasons.
He's never satisfied.
Nor should he be.
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