Latest Phillies report proves Dave Dombrowski isn't close to done dealing

The Philadelphia Phillies are on a minor slide, which places Dave Dombrowski squarely under pressure to deliver key roster upgrades. The notoriously aggressive president of baseball operations has already engineered two major trades, acquiring Austin Hays from the Baltimore Orioles and Carlos Estevez from the Los Angeles Angels.

In Hays, the Phils get an excellent right-handed hitter to platoon with Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas in the outfield. In Estevez, the Phils double down on an elite bullpen, adding another All-Star to the mix alongside Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm. With Jose Alvarado struggling in recent weeks, Estevez provides a more reliable ninth-inning option.

Dombrowski has said he's content with the current shape of the roster, while more ambitious trade concepts — such as Luis Robert Jr. or Brent Rooker — have largely been shot down by various reports. It seems like the Phillies are indeed comfortable with the current roster, but there's a stark difference between comfortable and complacent. Never mistake Dombrowski for the latter.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Phillies are still in the market for quality relievers ahead of the 600 p.m. ET trade deadline on Tuesday.

"The Philadelphia Phillies continue to search for additional relief help, even after acquiring Carlos Estévez from the Angels...," writes Rosenthal. "Dombrowski chases the best major major leaguers. And if he needs to trade quality prospects to get them, so be it. 'Every seller in America wants to deal with Dave,” said one rival executive, who was granted anonymity so that he could speak candidly.'"

Estevez cost Philadelphia two of its top pitching prospects — for a rental — but that won't prevent Dombrowski from continuing to operate aggressively. The dude does not get stingy with prospects. Some may fault him for it, but Dombrowski's resumé, which includes four World Series teams, is undeniable.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders, and join the discord to get the inside scoop as we near the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

Phillies still looking to trade for bullpen upgrades ahead of deadline

Philadelphia has been mentioned as a team interested in Tanner Scott, the best available relief pitcher. The odds of landing Scott certainly went down with the Estevez trade, but we can never count Dombrowski out. Several other leverage relievers are expected to change teams in the coming days, too. It shouldn't be too hard for Dombrowski to find a trade partner if he desires it.

There is a vocal (and arguably correct) contingent of the fanbase that will criticize Dombrowski if he doesn't land another impact bat in the outfield. Hays is an elite platoon option, but he's less dominant as an everyday starter, which is how Rob Thomson is packaging him at the moment. The idea of a Marsh-Rojas platoon in center field does not hold up to scrutiny. Rojas' .403 OPS against left-handed pitching is only marginally better than Marsh (.371), and it's far removed from what can be considered competent, much less good.

While Dombrowski is still hammering the pitching market, however, there isn't much buzz around further offensive upgrades for Philadelphia. Maybe it doesn't matter in the long run, as Philadelphia has the best front-to-back pitching staff in the majors. Another high-level reliever would strengthen a bullpen that can already overwhelm offenses. Still, the back half of the lineup has been especially feeble of late. Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, and Alec Bohm paper over a lot of flaws offensively, but Philadelphia needs to win on the margins, as the 2023 playoffs proved. Leaving the outfield bats so vulnerable against lefties could come back to haunt the Phils.

All the same, it's hard to feel too pesimistic about this Phillies team. The playoffs are forever unpredictable, but every team has weaknesses. Philadelphia's will be less extreme than the majority of its competition, if not all of its competition. So, rest assured that Dombrowski has not put away his phone yet. The Phils are still lurking on the trade front, and still 8.5 games ahead of the second-place Braves.