3 reasons to be excited about the Philadelphia Phillies new-look front office
By David Esser
A plan for life after Dombrowski.
It’s been mentioned a thousand times, but one of the biggest fears in hiring Dombrowski is the state that he usually leaves ball clubs in upon departing. The Detroit Tigers are still reeling from the Miguel Cabrera contract, and the Red Sox were forced to trade away Mookie Betts due to the financial state that they were left in after 2018.
With Sam Fuld now hired to be groomed under Dombrowski for the next four years, the Philadelphia Phillies at least have a semblance of a contingency plan for when their president leaves.
Fuld gets to learn the ropes from a 2x World Series winning executive, while helping to influence decision making with his previous background in player development. Fuld will be able to see firsthand what it takes to run a baseball team , while simultaneously familiarizing himself with the Phillies payroll, their minor league prospects, their coaching staff, and the rest of the team’s personnel.
Assuming things go well between now and 2024, this sets Fuld up to be in perfect position to assume baseball operations duties upon Dombrowski’s departure.
The Phillies having this plan in place should in theory help prevent a full-on rebuild from taking place anytime soon.