New Phillies executive Dave Dombrowski says everyone in the organization would like to bring back J.T. Realmuto.
The Philadelphia Phillies being able to re-sign perennial All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto remains no easy task. However, now with their new president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, the feat is surely more likely than before to becoming a reality.
Friday afternoon during his introductory press conference, Dombrowski said that he considers the current state of the franchise to be in a “retool” rather than a “rebuild.”
“We have a star player in right field in Bryce Harper,” Dombrowski said. “And, any time you have three good starting pitchers like we have at the top of the rotation, there’s a good chance you are going to be competitive.”
The Phillies have hired longtime major league executive David Dombrowski as the club’s first-ever president of baseball operations. pic.twitter.com/8lqlw48Yzt
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) December 11, 2020
When asked about Realmuto, specifically, Dombrowski said that while he does not yet know if there is enough money to re-sign him and fill out the rest of the roster, everyone in the organization loves him and would like to bring him back. “There is flexibility to make moves; is there enough to get something like that done, I’m not sure,” he continued.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Realmuto, Dombrowski is still getting himself situated with the Phillies and is well-aware that Managing Partner John Middleton remains committed to win. Bringing back the catcher would go a long way to reaching that goal sooner than later.
MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki said earlier on Friday on MLB Network that just Dombrowski’s mere presence alone will send a message to J.T.’s camp, and all of Major League Baseball, “that the Phillies are still going to try and find a way to win.”
“If he can get it done, he will,” Zolecki said.
The two-time World Series champion executive has a reputation for going out and getting the player he wants, even if it means diving deep into the farm system’s assets. To acquire the free-agent Realmuto, the only asset Dombrowski would need to give up is cash.
Do not expect the “best catcher in baseball” to receive a blank check, however. “I was told the Phillies are not going to cut a blank check for J.T. Realmuto,” Zolecki added. “If he wants $200 million, he’s not going to get it in Philadelphia.” Still, Zolecki stressed that Dombrowski’s pedigree, track record, and words alone will “go a long way.”
“If he might need a little bit of cash to get [the deal done], I think maybe he can go to [Middleton] and say, ‘I understand the payroll constraints and I understand your concerns, but give me a little bit extra and we can bring J.T. back.'”