SHOCKING UPDATE: The President of Baseball Operations David Dombrowski Break Silence On Trades Phils Made at Deadline

The Phillies completed four transactions before to Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline:

Acquisitions include Orioles outfielder Austin Hays, Angels closer Carlos Estévez, White Sox left-hander Tanner Banks, and Orioles pitching prospects Seth Johnson and Moisés Chace.

Traded: Gregory Soto, Seranthony Domínguez, Cristian Pache, together with prospects George Klassen, William Bergolla, and Samuel Aldegheri.

Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations, spoke extensively about Hays and Estévez on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Here are some of his comments about the Banks and Soto trades on Tuesday.

Why is Banks a good fit?

Dombrowski: We’ve admired Banks for a long time. Our folks campaigned for him. We enjoy his stuff. He’s been particularly good against left-handed hitters this season. He has been one of the top pitchers in Major League Baseball in this aspect. So we decided he was a better fit for our pen at the moment than Soto.

What did you appreciate about Seth Johnson, the Phillies’ No. 10 prospect?

Dombrowski: He underwent surgery a few years ago. So he’s bouncing back from Tommy John. He was a high pick. He was the 40th pick in the Draft at one point (2019). He had a strong pedigree coming out of college. So he has good stuff. He throws in the mid-nineties. He’s a good, consistent pitcher. He has thrown less innings, but he is a starting pitcher, and we expect him to continue to be one in the future.
What about Moisés Chace, the Phillies’ number 25 prospect?

Dombrowski: What a wonderful arm. A developing pitcher. We saw him pitch a few days ago against our (High-A) Jersey Shore club, and he threw the ball quite effectively. He’s been pitching very good recently. A very good arm with starting potential.

Why hasn’t Soto worked here?

Dombrowski: Based on his metrics, he pitched reasonably well. We did not necessarily sign him as a closer. I believe he often perceives himself as a closer, which is good. He’s done well for us, by all accounts. We were not disappointed with him. But the way we used our ‘pen, I’m not sure he ever felt comfortable with that.
How protective were you of your best prospects?

Dombrowski: We have some players I didn’t want to trade. They are our upper-echelon personnel. And that is why I am so glad we made the decisions we did. I understand we gave up some potential, but we also have those guys, (No. 4 prospect Starlyn) Caba, and some other players we’re very excited about. We believe we have a very excellent ballclub, and our farm system is improving.

What about the high reliever prices?

Dombrowski: In some ways, it demonstrates that the current emphasis on making the playoffs is that you nearly always need a reliever. Almost everyone can improve in the bullpen, correct? So it’s a seller’s market at the moment. That has definitely changed. Everybody seems to be looking for them. We had one of baseball’s top bullpens and were looking for them. San Diego had a terrific, reliable bullpen, and they acquired two of them. So it simply shows you. It’s very different. It has a high price tag. A large part of this is due to the number of teams vying for playoff spots. They’re striving to do anything they can to improve themselves.