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Philadelphia Phillies: Dave Dombrowski’s history of win-now trades

By George Stockburger

FT. MYERS, FL - FEBRUARY 17: Chris Sale #41 talks with Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Boston Red Sox during a team workout on February 17, 2017 at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida . (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
FT. MYERS, FL - FEBRUARY 17: Chris Sale #41 talks with Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Boston Red Sox during a team workout on February 17, 2017 at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida . (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – JULY 05: Boston Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski talks on the phone before the game against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park on July 5, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – JULY 05: Boston Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski talks on the phone before the game against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park on July 5, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

This is where fans get a bit weary of Dave Dombrowski.

Dave Dombrowski wants to win, and that’s what every fan should want from their front office and organization. But sometimes, winning comes at a price.

After the 2014 season, Dombrowski traded Robbie Ray and infielder Domingo Leyba to Arizona for pitcher Shane Greene. Coincidentially, Didi Gregorius was traded to the Yankees in this three-team deal.

Six days later, looking to replace Fielder’s power, the Tigers acquired Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes for starting pitcher Rick Porcello. They also traded away prospect Eugenio Suárez, who hit 49 home runs for Cincinnati in 2019, for pitcher Alfredo Simón.

Following the last-ditch effort to win in 2015, it became clear that the Tigers were on the wrong track. At the trade deadline, Dombrowski sent David Price to Toronto for Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd, and Jairo Labourt. He also traded Cespedes to the Mets for pitchers Michel Fulmer and Luis Cessa, as well as Joakim Soria to Pittsburgh for JaCoby Jones.

Detroit got a solid return for those players, but Dombrowski was out of a job less than a week after the July trade deadline, released by the Tigers while four games under .500.

The Tigers really went all-in with trades for Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler, David Price, Yoenis Cespedes, Shane Greene, Alfredo Simon, and Max Scherzer, but they ended Dombrowski’s run without a championship and started a lengthy rebuild.

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