PHILADELPHIA — Despite a frustrating seven-game losing streak that has left the Philadelphia Phillies stumbling out of the gate, team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made it clear on Tuesday that manager Rob Thomson remains secure in his position.
The Phillies, who entered the 2024 season with World Series aspirations after reaching the National League Championship Series in each of the past two years, have managed just an 8-15 record through their first 23 games. The skid, which includes a 7-4 defeat to the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night, marks the team's longest losing streak since June 2019. Dombrowski, speaking to reporters before the loss, emphasized that the issues plaguing the club are widespread and not a reflection on Thomson's leadership.
"We just haven't played very well. It's really every portion of our game," Dombrowski said. "There's been some individual players that have done fine, by all means, who are doing well. As a group, I don't think any part of our team has excelled: offensively, pitching-wise, starting pitching-wise, defensively."
Thomson took over as Phillies manager midway through the 2022 season, replacing Joe Girardi after a disappointing start that year. Under his guidance, the team turned things around dramatically, winning the NL East and advancing deep into the postseason, including a trip to the World Series. Last season, the Phillies again captured the division title but fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS. Dombrowski's vote of confidence comes at a time when speculation about managerial changes often swirls around struggling teams, but he dismissed any notion of instability in the dugout.
"Put it this way. We're not," Dombrowski said when asked if the organization was considering a change. "But if we were, that's not something we've ever shared. Rob Thomson's been a good manager for us since [2022]. We always look at everything that's taking place, but no."
The executive's comments highlight a broader frustration within the organization as the Phillies grapple with an uncharacteristic slow start. Offensively, the team has been particularly anemic, batting .218, which ranks 28th in Major League Baseball, and scoring just 80 runs, also 28th in the league. During the current losing streak, Philadelphia has been outscored 49-14, underscoring the severity of their slump. Key contributors like third baseman Alec Bohm, who is hitting .128 with 11 RBIs, and second baseman Bryson Stott, batting .210 with three RBIs, have struggled mightily at the plate.
Dombrowski pointed to the lineup's star power as a reason for optimism, naming sluggers Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and shortstop Trea Turner as anchors who should help pull the team out of its funk. "That's why you got to keep battling, day in and day out, because the one thing you can't do is give into it," he told reporters. "You got to keep on working and fighting hard and battling through it. And if we do, and I think we will, we will come out of it. I can't give you a date, when or where, because we're just too talented to not."
"Alec Bohm didn't forget how to be a good big league hitter. Bryson Stott didn't forget how to be a good big league hitter. And the list goes on with other people too. They're good players, they're good hitters, it's just not working for them right now."
Dombrowski's perspective aligns with a common refrain in baseball: slumps are temporary, especially for a roster as talented as Philadelphia's. The Phillies boast one of the highest payrolls in the majors, at over $250 million, and were favored by many analysts to contend for the World Series again this year. Yet, the early-season woes have tested the patience of fans and raised questions about the front office's offseason moves, including the signing of reliever Jeff Hoffman and the extension of starter Aaron Nola.
Defensively, the Phillies have committed errors at a higher rate than expected, and their pitching staff, once a strength, has posted a 4.12 ERA, sitting in the middle of the pack league-wide. Starting pitching, in particular, has faltered, with the rotation allowing 4.58 earned runs per nine innings. Dombrowski acknowledged his own role in the team's preparation, noting, "Shoot, I'm responsible for putting the club on the field, so I'm not happy with the way it's going."
The president suggested that it typically takes around 40 games to get a true read on a team's trajectory, though he cautioned there's "no magic in that number." With the Phillies just past the quarter mark of their schedule, Dombrowski urged patience while stressing daily evaluation. "Generally, I've said about 40 games of the season is when you start to say, 'OK, where are we shaping up? Guys have had enough time.' But there's no magic in that number. Sometimes it's a little bit more; sometimes it's a little bit less."
This isn't the first time the Phillies have faced adversity under Thomson. In 2022, they endured a six-game losing streak in June before embarking on a remarkable playoff run. Fans in Philadelphia, known for their passionate and sometimes unforgiving support, have already voiced discontent on social media and at the ballpark, but Dombrowski remained philosophical about the challenges.
"There's no sense of worrying about things you can't control," he said. "I've learned that a long time ago, so I don't really fret when that type of stuff happens. You get frustrated, but the way you go about it is, well, the next day you got to go do it again, and eventually they end up falling in. And there's going to be bloopers that fall in and dribblers that come in for us at some time here. You hope it's sooner rather than later."
As the Phillies look ahead, their schedule includes a three-game series against the Cubs concluding on Wednesday, followed by a homestand against the San Diego Padres and a road trip to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Thomson, in postgame comments after Tuesday's loss, echoed Dombrowski's sentiments, telling reporters that the team needs to "flush this one and move on." The manager's job security, at least for now, appears solid, allowing the focus to shift toward correcting the on-field issues.
The broader implications for the Phillies are significant in a competitive National League East, where the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets lurk as division rivals. A prolonged slump could jeopardize their postseason hopes, but Dombrowski's assurance suggests the organization is committed to riding out the storm with its current leadership. With talent like Harper, who is hitting .267 early on, and Turner, batting .343, the pieces are there for a turnaround. Whether it happens soon enough to salvage the season remains to be seen.
In the end, Dombrowski's message was one of resilience. The Phillies, he believes, are too good to stay down for long. As the team battles through this rough patch, all eyes will be on whether they can rediscover the form that made them contenders in recent years.