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OK, that’s enough. Time for Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski to concede his collection of well-paid stars isn’t getting it done. Time for him to take dramatic steps to overhaul his roster.

How, you ask?

Not sure. But Dombrowski, too, is well-paid. And it’s his job to figure it out.

Moving Trea Turner from shortstop to center field? That should be automatic, assuming the Phillies can’t trade him. Trading Bryce Harper or Kyle Schwarber? Don’t love the idea, but everything needs to be under consideration. Everything.

The Phillies are not going to rebuild, not when they’re still drawing 3 million fans to Citizens Bank Park, not when their three best starting pitchers — Zack Wheeler, Jesús Luzardo and Cristopher Sánchez — are under contract through 2027, 2031 and 2032, respectively.

Dombrowski, though, cannot bring back the same club. And if owner John Middleton is wedded to the team’s stars — he gives no indication to the contrary — then Dombrowski will need to build a much stronger supporting cast.

The Phillies’ 6-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves in the wild-card clincher Thursday night marked their fourth straight year of regression in the postseason since appearing in the 2022 World Series.In 2023, they lost the NLCS to the Arizona Diamondbacks after returning home with a three-games-to-two lead. In ’24 and ’25, they lost in the Division Series to the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers, respectively. And this season, they nearly blew a five-game lead for a playoff berth with eight to play, then got knocked out in the wild-card round.

Hiring Alex Cora to replace interim manager Don Mattingly might be Dombrowski’s first move, but to what end? Cora, Dombrowski’s manager with the 2018 World Series champion Boston Red Sox, isn’t going to walk into the Phillies’ clubhouse and sprinkle magic pixie dust on a club that clearly is trending in the wrong direction.

A number of the Phillies’ most prominent players — from Harper to Schwarber to Turner; Wheeler to Aaron Nola to J.T. Realmuto — are 33 or older. The team is inconsistent offensively, shoddy defensively and haunted by Dombrowski’s historic inability to build a quality bullpen.

Other than that, all is well.

Some of the Phillies’ turnover will occur naturally, with first baseman Alec Bohm, second baseman Luis Arraez and left-handed reliever José Alvarado likely to depart as free agents. Dombrowski can also maneuver around the edges, perhaps by trading left fielder Brandon Marsh, whose stock plummeted with a horrid second half. But the Phillies aren’t likely to get much help from their farm system.

Whole lineup is mentioned in the article but I figure we all care about where our guys will be.

Not a good look for the Fightins

Nahmsayen?

Boras asking for extension beyond 2031

As the Philadelphia Phillies continued to assess the wreckage from last week’s postseason exit, league sources said their initial managerial search started with one person: Alex Cora. But sometime in the last few days, Cora rejected their overtures for the second time in less than six months, leaving the Phillies to reconsider whether the right answer is found within the organization.

They could conduct a wider search for their next manager. Or they could turn to Don Mattingly for another season, those sources said. Everything remains on the table. The Phillies, technically, do not have a current manager.

But Mattingly could have an edge. He was given the interim manager tag through the end of the 2026 season; he is under contract through 2027 as bench coach. Elevating him for another season is the cleanest option, especially with an owner-imposed lockout expected to begin Dec. 1.

That will make it difficult for any new manager.

It will not be Cora, who informed the Phillies he will not manage next season after cursory talks between the sides. USA Today first reported the news Tuesday night that Cora had again spurned the Phillies.

The league sources spoke on the condition of anonymity to freely discuss internal organizational matters. 

The Phillies believed Cora, after spending the summer with his family, would be open to another run with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, whom he considers a mentor. That was not the case. He was Dombrowski’s first choice in April when he fired Rob Thomson, but after extensive talks between the sides, Cora decided to pass on the offer then. Cora is still being paid by the Boston Red Sox, who fired him after a 10-17 start this season, and the club owes him more than $7 million in 2027.

Keep up the good work everyone. Remember use your 5 votes a day appropriately.

"The 17-year-old from Lower Merion, who just graduated from Harriton, had a different take.

'I loved that,' he said of the boos. 'I think it’s an honor, to be honest. Like, when I go to Phillies games, I love that stuff. I’ll boo everyone.'"

Full Story: https://archive.ph/pfsQq#selection-1691.0-1699.148

I hate when outsiders who don't get our culture criticize Philly fans.

The Phillies need help at the trade deadline. Everyone knows it.

Bryce Harper just chose to say it out loud Tuesday night. And that annoyed team officials.

Free to read: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7478646/2026/07/29/phillies-slump-trade-deadline-bryce-harper-dave-dombrowski/?unlocked_article_code=1.1VA.lAge.vGzP_rVPDQ1b&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta