Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski spent 20-plus minutes talking with Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie on Wednesday's 94WIP Morning Show.
Dombrowski was incredibly candid covering a wide ranging of topics from Johan Rojas, to re-signing Aaron Nola, to their interest in free-agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto, to Bryce Harper reportedly wanted a contract extension, to the team's 2023 NLCS loss, and more.
Did the Phillies have a quiet offseason?
Dombrowski: "I think overall that assessment is accurate. Quiet doesn't mean inactive...But yeah, it's been quiet. Our first real big goal was to get a starting pitcher with Aaron [Nola] becoming a free-agent."
Will Johan Rojas be a starter?
Dombrowski: "Likely, yes. Definitively, no...I think he can do enough offensively...and when you add his speed in there and his defense, he becomes a real plus."
On re-signing Zack Wheeler
Dombrowski: "Well, we would love to sign Zack today if we could. I think it's important we re-sign him. I think he's one of the best pitchers in baseball...I know Wheels loves it in Philadelphia."
On the Phillies' interest in free-agent pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Dombrowski: "We were very involved in that. I think people would be shocked if they found out how much money we put on the table for him...But he wanted to go to the Dodgers. That was just the way it was."
Worried about Aaron Nola going to the Braves?
Dombrowski: "Well, I was very worried that he would go to the Atlanta Braves, or anyone else...I knew Aaron wanted to stay in Philadelphia once we got into the process. "He's really a good pitcher...he's a Phillie. He's the type of guy we think can age very well."
On Bryce Harper reportedly wanting a contract extension
Dombrowski: "He's in a situation where you can always desire or want—anybody can—anything that they like. One way I would just say it...we're thrilled that he's on board. We know that he's a Phillie for eight more years."
On the 2023 NLCS loss to the Diamondbacks
Dombrowski: "Give the Diamondbacks credit. They adjusted and we chased A LOT of balls out of the strike zone."
On Andrew Painter and his rehab process
Dombrowski: "Painter's rehab is going fine...He's just tossing at this point, which is where he should be. I don't really look for Andrew to pitch this year. I'm looking towards 2025. I guess you can always be surprised, but I don't want to put that pressure on him."