3 Things Phillies fans should know from this Dave Dombrowski interview

All this to say that Phillies fans should be both eager and concerned by Dombrowski’s comments about his tenure in Boston. For one thing, the Detroit Tigers never won the World Series during his time, though he did transform them from a team that lost 119 games in 2003 (his second season at the helm), to a pennant-winning team in 2006, their first since their 1984 championship. They won the pennant again in 2012 and lost the pennant to the Red Sox in 2013.

The Tigers also drafted some dazzling pitching while Dombrowski was in charge: Justin Verlander (2004), Andrew Miller (2006), Rick Porcello (2007), as well as future stars such as Curtis Granderson and Nick Castellanos. Dombrowski just completed his first Phillies draft class, heavy on the pitching. The results of that will take a few years, but in the meantime, he can make some immediate upgrades.

Can Dave Dombrowski finally rebuild the Phillies?

The Phillies have been mired in attempted rebuild mode for almost a decade now, so this feels like the time to shake things up. Presumably, that’s why Dombrowski is here. He’s turned around some of the worst teams.

Every team in baseball goes through down years and rebuilding eras, but the Phillies’ postseason eras have been few and far between. Dombrowski had a lot more to work with when he came to Boston, and he still left an absolutely decimated farm system in his wake. By comparison, the Phillies farm system was ranked 23rd overall in March. Further depleting that to make a few upgrades is taking a big chance on this current team.

When it comes to making moves, Dombrowski epitomizes ‘go big or go home.’ Fans should just be aware of what it’s going to mean if he goes big.