Dave Dombrowski interested in Phillies general manager job

Two-time World Series champion Dave Dombrowski eyes the Phillies GM vacancy

Dave Dombrowski is one name to watch as a possible replacement for former Philadelphia Phillies general manager Matt Klentak.

The longtime baseball front office executive, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber, is reportedly interested in the general manager position more than the Los Angeles Angels’ similar  vacancy. However, there is a caveat, as Dombrowski would reportedly want “complete autonomy” in Philadelphia.

“That wouldn’t be the case with Andy MacPhail in the role of team president,” Lauber writes.

Earlier this month, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi first linked two well-known names to the Phillies general manager vacancy — one being Dombroski, and the other J.J. Picollo, assistant general manager of the Kansas City Royals.

“One name that I’m told the Phillies are doing some background work on already [is] J.J. Picollo, the Assistant GM of the Kansas City Royals,” Morosi said, before adding: “I would also say Dave Dombrowski is another name to watch there potentially with the Philadelphia Phillies.”

Morosi added that a decision on who would replace Klentak likely would not come any time soon, as the Phillies are “still working through internal decisions about their overall staffing levels” —  a trend seen around Major League Baseball due to depleted revenues amid the COVID-19 crisis.

These decisions, according to Morosi, “should be clarified in the next couple of weeks” and that “probably more likely in November, we will start to get some clarity on where the Phillies’ search is going.”

Dombrowski’s baseball career has spanned decades; his first general manager role came with the now-defunct Montreal Expos in 1988. He eventually led the Florida Marlins to its first World Series championship in 1997, before taking the helm of the Detroit Tigers and likewise helping them to two pennants in 2006 and 2012.

From 2015-19, Dombrowski was in charge of the Red Sox, who posted three seasons of 93 wins or more, coupled with a 2018 World Series championship.

Named a Baseball America Executive of the Year in 2006 and 2018, Dombrowski has led organizations to four pennants and two World Series championships (1997, 2018) — which is three shy of the Phillies’ seven all-time pennants, but matches their championships in 1980 and 2008.

MacPhail’s contract is set to expire following the 2021 season. If there is mutual interest between the Phillies and Dombrowski to replace Klentak, it will be interesting to see how a pact comes to fruition. After all, the Phillies could hire Dombrowski or Picollo, or simply stick with interim GM Ned Rice.