The Los Angeles Dodgers are the envy of the baseball world, having captured the past two World Series championships and barreling towards a third this fall. Seemingly limitless funds and a top-tier farm system have played large roles in the club’s success, but manager Dave Roberts just revealed another important factor: they’re willing to make uncomfortable decisions with their superstars.
Heading into Game 3 of the National League Division Series, the Dodgers faced the Atlanta Braves with the series tied at one. While previous playoff runs have been built on the back of Shohei Ohtani, the greatest player in the history of the sport, this year has been different.
Ohtani has clearly been playing through an injury of some sort, and wasn’t his normal elite self over the final two months of the regular season. Those struggles continued into the playoffs, as the 32-year-old collected just two hits in 16 NLDS plate appearances.
With an opportunity to advance to the doorstep of the World Series hanging in the balance, Dave Roberts wasn’t taking any chances, so he moved the Japanese superstar down to fifth in the lineup. The Dodgers went on to win the decisive third and fourth games of the series, despite Ohtani going hitless in four trips to the plate in the finale.
If the mighty Dodgers can make their stars uncomfortable, then the Phillies certainly can too
So what does this Dodgers hiccup have to do with the Phillies? Well, it should serve as a learning experience for whoever skippers the team in 2027, whether it’s Don Mattingly or someone else. Dave Roberts wasn’t afraid to make the best player on his team uncomfortable, and that’s something the Phillies need to start doing more of.
For too long the inmates have been running the asylum in Philadelphia. Mattingly, as well as Rob Thomson before him, has allowed players with gaudy résumés to dictate what their duties will be. The most famous example of this was clubhouse cancer Nick Castellanos playing all 162 games back in 2024 despite continually diminishing results at the plate. Unsurprisingly Castellanos would go on to bring alcohol into the dugout and mouth off to Thomson after being pulled from a game the following year.
What about Trea Turner’s continued presence at shortstop in spite of horrifying defense? Any fan with half a brain knows that shifting all-time great second base defender Bryson Stott over to short would greatly improve the team’s run prevention, but the Phillies have continued to avoid ruffling the feathers of their $300 million mistake.
Despite all he’s done for the Phillies over the past eight years, even the great Bryce Harper isn’t blameless in this clubhouse chaos. It has long been posited by fans and analysts that the team could benefit from the on-base machine batting leadoff, but he’s made his opposition to the notion clear. In fear of upsetting their future Hall of Famer, the Phillies have acquiesced to his wishes and kept him in the three-hole for most of his tenure.
It’s high time the Phillies’ brass grew a spine. Three-time World Series champion Dave Roberts was able to make a drastic move with the four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani and have things work out just fine. There has been no public rift between the two, just the simple fact that the team was put in a better position to win.
Why can’t Mattingly, or whoever may succeed him, do the same? Trea Turner and even Bryce Harper are not Shohei Ohtani. If any player could win a power struggle with management it would be the greatest player to ever set foot on a baseball diamond. If he’s willing to put his ego aside for the sake of the team, why can’t Trea Turner?
The Phillies are suffering from a failure of leadership just as much as they’re suffering from a dearth of talent. It’s hard to see them going far in a team sport when some players are allowed to put their own interests ahead of the team's.
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