Phillies' Dombrowski Defends Thomson: "We're Not" Considering a Change Despite 8-15 Disaster

Philadelphia's brass is panicking about everything except the guy running the show. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski came out swinging Tuesday, making it crystal clear that manager Rob Thomson's job is safe, even though the team just suffered its worst stretch in nearly seven years.

The Phillies are sitting at 8-15 to start the season and just wrapped up a seven-game losing streak, the first time they've hit that mark since June 2019. But when asked if Thomson is on the hot seat, Dombrowski didn't mince words: "Put it this way. We're not."

The Real Problem? Everything Else

Dombrowski went harder on his own roster construction than he did on his skipper. Speaking to reporters before Tuesday's 7-4 loss to Chicago, he painted a bleak picture of what's happening across the diamond. "We just haven't played very well. It's really every portion of our game," he said. "There's been some individual players that have done fine, by all means, who are doing well. As a group, I don't think any part of our team has excelled: offensively, pitching-wise, starting pitching-wise, defensively."

The numbers back that up. During the seven-game losing skid, the Phillies were outscored 49-14. For the season, they're hitting .218, which ranks 28th in baseball, with just 80 runs scored, also 28th. That's a lineup featuring Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Trea Turner, which on paper shouldn't be this quiet.

Not Ready to Panic, But Close

Thomson has been managing the Phillies since 2022, taking over for Joe Girardi, and Dombrowski isn't abandoning ship yet. Still, he acknowledged the reality of the situation. "Generally, I've said about 40 games of the season is when you start to say, 'OK, where are we shaping up? Guys have had enough time.' But there's no magic in that number. Sometimes it's a little bit more; sometimes it's a little bit less," he said.

The message to the clubhouse is simple: keep fighting. "That's why you got to keep battling, day in and day out, because the one thing you can't do is give into it," Dombrowski told reporters. "You got to keep on working and fighting hard and battling through it. And if we do, and I think we will, we will come out of it. I can't give you a date, when or where, because we're just too talented to not."

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.