Dave Dombrowski has worked in baseball since 1978, when he was hired by the White Sox to work on their minor league staff. He’s probably watched 5,000 games in person, give or take a few hundred.
Even Dombrowski can’t quite believe the home run Bryce Harper hit in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series last Oct. 23.
With the Phillies trailing, 3-2, in the eighth inning and facing a return trip to San Diego for Game 6, Harper came to the plate with a runner on first base and hammered a two-strike sinker from Robert Suarez the other way to left field.
As the crowd at Citizens Bank Park erupted, Harper stood and watched as the ball cleared the fence. The shot sent the Phillies to their first World Series since 2009.
“One of the best things I’ve seen. No question, an incredible moment,” Dombrowski said.
The Phillies took a 2-1 lead in the World Series before the Astros won three in a row behind their dominant pitching. But it was still a season of rebirth for the Phillies, who hadn’t made the playoffs since 2011.
What do they do for an encore?
Harper had Tommy John surgery in November and will be on the injured list until July. The plan is for the seven-time All-Star to return as the designated hitter with a chance to get back in right field before the season ends.
Dombrowski compensated by improving the lineup. He targeted free agent Trea Turner and signed the former Dodgers shortstop to an 11-year, $300 million contract in early December.
The Phillies were fifth in the majors with 105 stolen bases last season. Turner’s speed will add to that threat, particularly with the new rules designed to aid base runners.
Dombrowski and manager Rob Thomson visited with all four of the premier free agent shortstops: Turner, Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa, and Dansby Swanson. But Turner was their focus.
“We had a great interview with Bogaerts. Loved him. But Turner was the guy,” Thomson said. “He’s going to do a lot for us.”
The Phillies see 26-year-old infielder Edmundo Sosa taking on a larger role after hitting .315 with a .937 OPS in 25 games last season. Darick Hall, a 235-pound DH and first baseman who made his debut last season, will get a good look.
The Phillies also signed veteran hitter Josh Harrison.
“You don’t ever replace Bryce Harper, but we have a lot of good offensive players that Rob can rotate into the DH spot,” Dombrowski said. “We’ll be fine until Bryce gets back.”
Dombrowski signed righthander Taijuan Walker to fill the rotation opening created when Kyle Gibson signed with the Orioles. That’s an upgrade considering Gibson was dropped from the rotation for the postseason.
The Phillies didn’t have a set closer last season as Thomson prefers to match up. Craig Kimbrel will be part of that mix after agreeing to a one-year deal worth $10 million.
Kimbrel, 34, is not the lockdown closer he was in the past. He averaged what, for him, was a modest 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings with the Dodgers last season and was replaced as closer in September.
Dombrowski traded for Kimbrel in 2015 when he was president of baseball operations with the Red Sox. Kimbrel had one of the best seasons of his career in 2017 and was dominant in 2018 before faltering in the postseason.
“We still like his stuff,” Dombrowski said. “He did not throw strikes to the point that he should. He pitched better in the first half than the second half. We thought he tried to make some adjustments that didn’t work for him.
“We don’t have a designated closer, but we feel like he can help us in leverage situations.”
Said Thomson: “I’m comfortable using all my guys. You look at the lineup and see who fits the best. That’s how I want to do it. If he’s the old Kimbrel, that’s great for us.”
Kimbrel, who for years has preferred to be used only in save situations, understands he has to be flexible.
“We talked about that. I spent a lot of time doing that. He was accepting of that,” Dombrowski said. “He’s in great shape and in tune with what we want to do.”
Kimbrel is six saves shy of becoming the seventh pitcher in history with 400.
It’s an exciting time for the franchise. Season ticket sales are up 50 percent from last season and the roster is loaded.
Dombrowski, who was signed to an extension in November, sees last season as an incentive for the players to return to the postseason and finish the job.
“The reality is that they know they can do it. It puts them in a different mind-set,” Dombrowski said. “They hadn’t been to the playoffs here in 11 years. Now they know they can compete against the best clubs.”
QUESTIONS REMAIN
Red Sox offseason gets poor grades
Jayson Stark of The Athletic polled 29 executives about the coming season on different topics. The Red Sox finished eighth in the “least improved” voting and first in “worst free agent signing” for Masataka Yoshida.
Chaim Bloom was a runaway winner with 20 votes for “Who’s feeling the heat?”
When MLB hosted a media availability Thursday for the GMs and managers of the Grapefruit League teams, three execs turned the tables on me and asked what the Sox were doing.
But Bloom is convinced the Sox will be better.
“We brought in a lot of players who, I think, have a chance to contribute in different ways,” he said. “Some of them are veterans and then we also have some interesting young players, some who came from the outside and a lot coming from within that I think have a lot of upside that we need to tap into . . . we know we need to be better. That’s what we’re focused on.”
A few other observations on the Red Sox:
▪ Trevor Story won’t be able to play until July, if then, as he recovers from elbow surgery. He could have stayed in Texas for his rehab work and reported with the rest of the position players on Monday.
He instead arrived the first week of February and moved into a condo with his wife and son. As the Sox prepare for the season, he’s doing what he can to help build camaraderie and be a resource for his teammates.
“I’d like to be with the team as much as possible. That’s important for me,” Story said. “I like being around the guys. The group atmosphere is huge and that plays a big part.”
▪ Roger Dean Stadium, where the Cardinals and Marlins conduct spring training, is scheduled for a $111 million renovation.
It’s getting close to the time for a similar announcement about Fenway South, which opened in 2012.
The Sox have outgrown their facility and now have three tents set up at spring training to accommodate their needs. One is used for weight training, another for large meetings, and the third for dining.
The Sox also put down artificial turf on the sidewalk outside the clubhouse to conduct drills.
Unlike newer facilities, the Sox do not have an amphitheater for meetings, news conferences, and other events. That was something the Twins gained when their complex in Fort Myers was renovated in 2015.
Last year, the Sox introduced Story by setting up folding chairs and a small stage in left field of JetBlue Park. On the same day, the Twins introduced Carlos Correa with a multimedia presentation in their auditorium.
▪ Chris Sale has two teammates (Ryan Brasier and Rafael Devers) who were members of the 2018 championship team and four (Kiké Hernandez, Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner, and Alex Verdugo) who played for the Dodgers that season.
“It’s the nature of the game, right? It is interesting,” Sale said.
Sale believes the ex-Dodgers will add to the leadership in the clubhouse.
▪ Turner played eight seasons with Jansen in Los Angeles. His scouting report on the new Sox closer: “Experience in the closing role, the ability to have that short-term memory and obviously the elite cutter that he throws up in the zone.
“He’s really found a good feel for his [sinker] as well. He’s just a guy that when you’re leading the game in the ninth inning, you want to make sure you can win that game and I wouldn’t want anyone else in the ninth inning.
“I played with him for a lot of years and I love him like a brother.”
In a position to make change
In addition to the other well-publicized rules changes for this season, MLB is cracking down on how often position players can pitch.
Under the new rules, a position player can be used any time in extra innings, when his team is leading by 10 or more runs in the ninth inning, or when his team is trailing by eight or more runs.
Last season, position players could pitch in extra innings only with a six-run differential.
Position players appeared on the mound 89 times in 2021, then 132 times in 2022.
Call this the Hanser Alberto Rule. The Dodgers used the infielder 10 times as a pitcher in 2022.
The much-maligned (but very effective) ghost-runner rule was made permanent for extra innings. It has always seemed that a good compromise would be to wait until the 11th inning. But MLB’s competition committee decided to stick with the 10th.
Extra bases
Frankie Montas is scheduled for shoulder surgery Tuesday in Los Angeles and what Dr. Neal ElAttrache finds then will determine if Montas’s season is over. Montas is signed for $7.5 million this season then becomes a free agent, so it’s not a huge financial hit for the Yankees. The problem is they were counting on him to join Gerrit Cole, Nelson Cortes, Carlos Rodon, and Luis Severino in the rotation. The Yankees have reasons to worry. Cortes pulled out of the World Baseball Classic because of a strained hamstring and Rodon has a history of elbow and shoulder issues. “I feel good that we have depth,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Right now Domingo Germán looks awesome. Clarke Schmidt looks really good, Jhony Brito, too. We’ve got depth we feel like we can lean on. I like the top four starters we have, we’re in a good spot.” German was 18-4 with a 4.03 ERA in 2019 but has started only 32 games since, going 6-10, 4.00 . . . Shohei Ohtani was asked if he were open to a contract extension with the Angels. “This is my last year and I’m aware of that. As of now, I’m an Angel and that’s all I’m going to focus on,” he said via a translator. “As of now” must have sounded very promising to the Dodgers, Padres, and other teams eager for Ohtani to reach free agency after this season . . . The arbitration process is something baseball needs to fix. When the sides go to a hearing, which is increasingly the case, the player must attend and listen to the team present its case why he should be paid less. “Obviously, it’s tough to hear. It’s tough to take. They’re trying to do what they can to win a hearing,” Milwaukee righthander Corbin Burnes said after losing his hearing. “There’s no denying that the relationship is definitely hurt from what transpired over the last couple weeks. There’s really no way of getting around that.” Burnes said the Brewers disparaged his value by painting him as the reason they didn’t make the postseason. “That’s something that probably doesn’t need to be said. It’s kind of disappointing,” Burnes said. Burnes is a player Milwaukee drafted and developed, and at 28 he’s a two-time All-Star with a Cy Young Award. The Brewers saved $750,000 by winning the case. But at what cost? Burnes will be a free agent after this season and Milwaukee’s best move may be to trade him before he leaves for a team that better appreciates him. That doesn’t serve Brewers fans very well . . . Rest in peace, Tim McCarver. There was a lot to be learned about baseball listening to the Hall of Fame broadcaster, who called 24 World Series. McCarver played from 1959-80, including a 23-game stint with the Red Sox from 1974-75. The Sox purchased McCarver on Sept. 1, 1974, and released him on June 23, 1975 . . . Wade Boggs played two seasons and 213 games for the Rays, hitting .289 for two last-place teams. Nonetheless, Tampa Bay retired his No. 12 in 2000 and this past week announced he was a member of their inaugural team Hall of Fame class, along with Carl Crawford and Don Zimmer . . . Scott Rolen will wear a Cardinals logo on his Hall of Fame plaque. He played 183 more games for the Phillies but had 32 playoff games for St. Louis and none in Philadelphia. Fred McGriff will go in without a logo . . . Think Chris Sale’s contract didn’t work out? Stephen Strasburg didn’t report to Nationals camp because of another setback in his return from thoracic outlet surgery. Strasburg agreed to a seven-year, $245 million contract before the 2020 season. He has since made eight starts and allowed 24 earned runs over 31⅓ innings. Strasburg had nerve pain after throwing a bullpen session earlier this month and is being treated in the Washington area. “I know how hard he’s worked,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “You’ve just got to, hopefully, stick to the process and go get checked out and see what’s going on. That’s all he can do right now.” Strasburg turns 35 in July and is signed through 2026 . . . Lefthanded reliever Ben Bowden, who pitched for Lynn English, is in Phillies camp on a minor league contract. The 28-year-old appeared in 39 games for the Rockies in 2021. He was claimed off waivers by the Rays last April then traded to the Giants in July . . . The annual Will McDonough Writing Contest on sports topics for students grades 4-12 is accepting entries. Rules and entry forms are on the Sports Museum website. The deadline is March 6. First-place winners and their families will be invited to an awards ceremony at TD Garden followed by the Raptors-Celtics game . . . Happy birthday to Josh Reddick, who is 35. Reddick was a scouting success story for the Red Sox. He was a 17th-round draft pick in 2006 from a junior college in Georgia who reached the majors in 2009 and went on to have a 13-year career. Reddick was traded to the Athletics in 2011 as part of a deal to land closer Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney. Reddick hit 32 homers in 2012, won a Gold Glove in right field, and finished 16th in the MVP voting. He had his best offensive season with the 2017 Astros, hitting .314 with an .847 OPS. Make of that what you will.
Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.
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