Dombrowski talks Harper playing first base, Deadline
CHICAGO — President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski can thank the Phillies’ rotation for altering the workforce’s fortunes this month.
“Any time I’ve been with a club that gets on a roll, it’s their starting pitchers pitching well,” Dombrowski mentioned Wednesday at Wrigley Field. “We’re in a playoff hunt. We’re legitimately in a playoff hunt. We’re playing much better baseball.”
The Phillies attain the midway level of their 162-game schedule on Friday. The Aug. 1 Trade Deadline is 34 days away. Last summer time, Dombrowski and Co. acquired Noah Syndergaard, Brandon Marsh, David Robertson and Edmundo Sosa. This season’s workforce has its personal considerations, however first base doesn’t appear to be considered one of them.
Dombrowski mentioned he believes Bryce Harper can play first base and that he’ll play there someday after the All-Star break. At the very least, the Phillies will know if he can play there earlier than the Trade Deadline.
“He’s not far away,” Dombrowski mentioned.
Harper took full-fledged infield apply for the primary time on Wednesday. If he can play first base, that opens up the DH spot. That could be massive as a result of it will give supervisor Rob Thomson extra choices with the lineup.
It definitely would give Kyle Schwarber extra time at DH. He has struggled this season in left area.
“It would be nice to get Schwarbs off his feet a little bit,” Dombrowski mentioned. “Right now, the way we’re shaped up … I know people say to do things — I read it — but you have to do your own [thing]. I don’t really know what you do when you think somebody is going to play first base. So you, say, get a first baseman, but what happens if [Harper’s] playing there in three weeks? So it’s like, OK, we’ve got to wait it out. Sometimes patience isn’t a virtue, but sometimes you just have to do it.”
Phillies first basemen ranked twentieth within the Majors with a .712 OPS coming into Wednesday. Phillies third basemen ranked twenty seventh with a .620 OPS. If Schwarber sees extra time at DH, Philadelphia might pursue a bat in left area to assist increase the offense.
“The offense has been better, but I still think there’s a lot of room for growth there, too,” Dombrowski mentioned. “So I believe as we proceed to play out the 12 months, that that’s the half the place we are able to proceed to get higher and higher.
“I feel good about our offensive performers. I don’t feel great about our offensive numbers so far. I feel like we have the capability of doing more.”
