Dave Dombrowski's stance on Phillies deadline plans isn't remotely good enough

The Philadelphia Phillies haven't sat on their hands ahead of Tuesday's MLB trade deadline. Dave Dombrowski has a lengthy track record to back up his claims of aggression, and the Phillies' recent success certainly gives credence to his reputation as one of the game's top general managers.

Austin Hays arrived early last week via an unexpected trade with the Baltimore Orioles — the rare transaction in which first-place teams and potential World Series foes swapped legitimate rotation cogs. Then, on Saturday, the Phillies shelled out multiple top pitching prospects to land Los Angeles Angels closer Carlos Estevez. A controversial trade, but one that clearly improves their immediate title odds.

If that's where it stops, however, Philadelphia fans will get restless. The roster still has clear room to improve. Hays, viewed as a platoon bat upon his arrival, is expected to start with full-time reps in left field. Rob Thomson pitched a Brandon Marsh-Johan Rojas platoon in centerfield, with Rojas facing lefities while Marsh rakes against righties. Great in theory, except Rojas has a .403 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Not exactly a number that inspires confidence.

Toggling between a bad hitter against lefties in Marsh to a bad hitter in general in Rojas does not exactly solve Philadelphia's primary outfield concerns. The aggregate of Hays and Marsh in left — with Hays mashing lefties (.881 OPS) and Marsh mashing righties (.844 OPS) — would be perfect. That is how the Phillies should view Hays while searching for a Rojas upgrade in centerfield.

Dombrowski, however, does not appear committed to adding more talent. He's content with the current shape of the Phillies' roster.

"There’s a long way until Tuesday night at six o’clock, but if we did this, we feel very comfortable with where we are right now."

Dave Dombrowski 'comfortable' with Phillies roster ahead of trade deadline

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The Phillies' GM hedges against the incoming complaints — there's a "long way" until Tuesday at 6 PM E.T. — but he's clearly setting the stage for a quiet couple of days in Philadelphia. He struck early, landing an impact bat in the outfield and swapping two top-10 prospects for a shutdown closer. Those were, in broad terms, Philadelphia's primary deadline needs.

Again, though, Hays alone cannot completely solve the Phillies' outfield conundrum. Rojas is not somebody the Phillies want to rely on in the playoffs. Marsh cannot hit lefities. We have enough of a sample size to be confident in that assessment. Hays has been off and on against right-handed pitching in the past. He's not necessarily the worst full-time option in left. In fact, he's far from it. The outfield would look more stable if Hays was strictly the right-handed platoon for Marsh, though.

Philadelphia has been attached to flashy trade targets throughout the season, with Chicago White Sox slugger Luis Robert Jr. standing out as a dream target for those fans encouraging an all-out approach. Robert won't come cheap, but Philadelphia still has the assets to land him without sacrificing Aidan Miller. It's a question of whether or not Dombrowski views that as a wise investment. The Phillies' offense isn't such a pressing issue... right?

Well, lately, it has been. The Phils are 3-6 since the All-Star break. They're 4-8 since sweeping the Dodgers earlier this month. They have lost four straight series to the A's, Pirates, Twins, and Guardians. Not the best sign. Injuries are partially to blame, but the real issue has been the back end of Philadelphia's lineup.

That top five is unimpeachable. Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, and JT Realmuto are generally dependable. It's the 6-9 portion, with Bryson Stott struggling, JT Realmuto rusty from injury, and the outfield woes piling up, that continues to fail Philadelphia at the worst possible times.

This is undeniably a great team. Even with their recent slide, the Phils are 65-40 with a dominant lead over the second-place Braves in the NL East. Bullpen issues were another common theme during the Phillies' recent skid, which Estevez should address. Hays isn't the fix-all fans want, but he does help. Without question.

Dombrowski has improved the team. The question is, has he improved the team enough? If the Phillies stand pat through the deadline and end up falling short in October because the back end of the lineup stalls, expect Dombrowski to face a few tough questions in his exit interview.