2. Not making a blockbuster trade
The Phillies desperately need a change at shortstop, but they owe Didi Gregorius over $15M next year.
The veteran infielder is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, and his defensive struggles long predate his time in Philadelphia. Having him here is only hurting their chances of being something in 2022.
While it would be next-to-impossible to trade Gregorius on his own, if the Phillies packaged him with a prospect or two and still paid some of the money remaining on his contract, there might be a team crazy enough to take that deal. Maybe a team would be interested in former first-overall pick Mickey Moniak, the latest in a string of top draft picks the Phillies can’t seem to develop.
Dave Dombrowski is known for pulling off crazy trades; he brought Max Scherzer to Detroit and Chris Sale to Boston. In July, he got the Texas Rangers to give the Phillies a top pitching prospect in Hans Crouse, starting pitcher Kyle Gibson, reliever Ian Kennedy, and $4M for Spencer Howard and two low-level pitchers. So why is he playing it safe with a team that has Bryce Harper and Zack Wheeler, meaning one that should be in win-now mode?