The Philadelphia Phillies started the year so poorly that manager Rob Thomson was fired in late April; interim manager Don Mattingly stabilized the team. Then, in September, they had a 4-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final NL Wild Card spot with 5 games to go. Since the postseason began in 1903, no team has ever blown a lead like that. But the Phillies did. Then, they somehow defeated the Tampa Bay Rays on the final day of the regular season to clinch the playoff berth. Since he arrived in 2020, Dave Dombrowski has changed the postseason history for the Phillies by making it to October every year. But that’s not the same as winning the World Series. After another early postseason exit, Philadelphia is not happy with Dave Dombrowski getting a contract that might change everything.

According to Barstool Philly, “Phillies President of Baseball Operations, Dave Dombrowski, will receive a contract extension this offseason, and a lifetime contract has been offered.”

Dombrowski’s contract runs through 2027, yet the Phillies are offering an extension, a move that has divided fans. But before fans bash Dombrowski for not winning a World Series, his success deserves recognition.

The Phillies had not reached October since 2011 before Dombrowski arrived in December 2020.

Since then, Philadelphia has reached October every season, including the 2022 World Series. Dombrowski’s early moves changed what the Phillies could accomplish in October.

He signed Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos before the Phillies reached the 2022 World Series. Schwarber hit 46 home runs that season, while Castellanos delivered 3 hits and 3 RBIs against the Braves in the NLDS.

Trade-deadline acquisitions (Brandon Marsh and David Robertson) delivered: Marsh’s 3-run homer in Game 4 of the NLDS and Robertson’s 6 saves down the stretch.

Those moves gave Philadelphia more than just another postseason appearance in 2022. Dombrowski also acquired José Alvarado, whose powerful arm became important during that championship run.

He later signed Trea Turner and extended Zack Wheeler, keeping star talent around Harper.

Wheeler’s first 4 Philadelphia seasons included a 3.06 ERA and 675 strikeouts across 101 starts. This gives enough reasons for the Phillies not wanting to let go of Dombrowski.

Phillies fans want more than just postseason appearances

The postseason results have slowly moved backward since Philadelphia reached the World Series. The Phillies reached the NLCS in 2023, the NLDS in 2024 and 2025, then lost during the 2026 Wild Card Series.

That decline explains why one frustrated fan wrote, “Going downhill every single year since 22.”

He questioned whether ownership was simply rewarding regression with another extension. The frustration becomes understandable when the same expensive core now looks older and less effective.

The criticism became louder after Dombrowski’s recent offseason moves failed to fix obvious roster problems.

Philadelphia re-signed Schwarber for 5 years and $150 million, then signed Adolis García for $10 million. García struggled badly, while the Phillies entered the season relying heavily on young outfielders. The offense fell from 9th in 2025 to 28th in wRC+ during 2026.

In fact, 4 days ago, 97.5 The Fanatic ran a poll on its X account, asking fans if Dombrowski should return as the Phillies’ President. 89% of votes were negative.

One fan complained that Dombrowski “refuses to upgrade the lineup and constantly runs the same” roster. Another called an extension “probably the stupidest thing.”

The bullpen provided a reason for fans to question Dombrowski’s roster decisions.

Philadelphia signed Jordan Romano before 2025, but the move failed. Romano finished his Phillies season with an ERA of 8.23. Dombrowski later acquired Jhoan Duran, who became one of the team’s strongest relief options.

Yet the 2026 bullpen finished 21st with a 4.43 ERA, showing one good signing won’t fix all the problems. The Game 1 loss against the Braves exposed those concerns when the bullpen blew the game.

The lineup created another problem because several important veterans failed to produce consistently.

Trea Turner finished 2026 with an 81 OPS+, dropping from a 116 career average, while J.T. Realmuto finished with a 65 OPS+, down from 91 in 2025. Only 3 Philadelphia hitters (Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Derek Hill) finished above the league-average OPS+ of 100 among qualified regulars.

Yet, rumors are making the rounds on social media platforms that the president will use Harper and Turner to shop for prospects this offseason.

That weakness helps explain another fan asking whether the Phillies will “be serious contenders anytime in the near future.”

With Harper, Schwarber, Turner and Realmuto aging, Philadelphia needs younger players to change that picture. The Braves have young stars like Acuna Jr and the Mets have a young core with Carson Benge, who will improve their team in 2027. That concern also connects directly to the criticism about Philadelphia’s farm system and outfield.

The Phillies entered 2026 expecting Justin Crawford to take over center field after Harrison Bader departed. But Crawford hit just 3 homers in 149 games.

One fan said the “outfield is a mess” and warned that ownership was creating a mess. Those reactions reflect how Dombrowski’s successful core has not received enough dependable support.

Yet, Dombrowski’s record is undeniable: five straight Octobers after a decade-long drought, but fans demand more than appearances.

One supporter even suggested, “The only way this changes is if we don’t attend the games,” showing how deeply the frustration has spread.

Dombrowski earned another chance through his successes, but this extension will demand meaningful changes from him.