Stark: Dombrowski pursued huge names prior to MLB Trade Deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski felt that his team could use some players to help get his team as complete as possible for the stretch run, and into the playoffs.
He did well for himself, adding outfielder Austin Hays and reliever Carlos Estevez a few days before the July 30 trading deadline.
In the final hours before business closed on that deadline, he made two more moves, adding lefty reliever Tanner Banks and trading away reliever Gregory Soto for two minor leaguers.
Yesterday, Hall of Fame baseball writer Jayson Stark joined The Best Show Ever, and according to his sources, Dombrowski was swinging for the fences to the very last moment, attempting to add arguably the two biggest names on the market.
Ive known Dave for 25 years. Ive seen this movie before, this is how he goes about it, Stark began. Just calling around the last two days. He makes those two big deals, and people kind of assume hes filled both needs, hes done. I dont think he was done.
Heres what Ive heard over the last 24 hours: they chased Garrett Crochet, the ace of the White Sox, all the way, practically, to the deadline. I dont know how that wouldve worked, but they looked at that guy like hes worth overpaying for hes the best player who will change hands at this deadline, and you can control him for [three] more years. Hes your ace moving forward, even though you dont know how youre going to handle it this year.
I dont know where Taijuan Walker wouldve fit, they mightve just eaten the money [hes owed $36M over the next two seasons], because he was that good.
That didnt happen, he didnt go to anybody, but thats the kind of deal Dave pursues.”
The price tag on Crochet would have been much higher than what he spent on any of his other acquisitions over the past week, but you can definitely appreciate that he was aiming to make his club as good as possible in the near term.
And that wasnt the only prize he was hoping to add.
[Tuesday] [Marlins closer] Tanner Scott was the best reliever and the only All-Star who got traded at this deadline [to the Padres], the Phillies were in on that to. The. End.
He didnt have to do that, but he never closes for business.
While he didnt get either of those deals done, Dombrowski didnt stop trying to improve his team by any means necessary to the very end. Now its up to the team on the field to hold up their end.