Phillies News: 4 offseason decisions Dave Dombrowski wishes he had back

Dave Dombrowski and the Philadelphia Phillies should already have regrets about these four offseason decisions.

The Philadelphia Phillies had one of the better offseasons of any MLB team. It included some player extensions, upgrades to the bullpen, and the biggest splash of them all, the Trea Turner addition.

There was plenty done this offseason Dave Dombrowski can gloat about. There are, however, four offseason decisions he’ll regret having a part in.

1) The Phillies will regret not adding one big-league outfielder for the bench

The Phillies knew they’d be without Bryce Harper for several weeks, if not months, to start the 2023 season. They battled through a large part of the 2022 season without him and still managed to go to the World Series. Accomplishing that on short notice was admirable. Not preparing themselves better for his absence this season is a mistake Dombrowski should wish he had back.

Outfield depth is not a strength for the Phillies. Their best options for the bench to start the year are Dalton Guthrie and Jake Cave. Neither will do much to replace Harper. That job may end up on the bat of Darick Hall as it did for much of last year.

The Phillies had an opportunity to make a bigger move to help them get through the stretch without the 2021 MVP. Trading for Max Kepler would have been the ideal move to make. Swinging a deal for Michael A. Taylor, now a teammate of Kepler’s with the Minnesota Twins, would’ve been another yet different trade to finalize.

Reaching into free agency would have been a little different because anyone who signs with the Phillies knows his starting job is in jeopardy. A righty with some defensive gifts and success against lefty pitchers could have worked. Someone on the same level as Josh Harrison, a guy the Phillies could rely on for some innings as an outfielder this year, would have been a realistic player to target.