Dombrowski maps Phillies priorities at GM Meetings, but the first question is simple: what should come first?

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski used his time at the MLB General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas to frame the club’s biggest offseason question as sequencing: what comes first before Opening Day, when “so many things” need attention.

On the outfield, Dombrowski said, “We have to have an outfielder.” He tied the urgency to the current group’s performance, pointing to a 2026 outfield combined.686 OPS that ranked 26th in baseball, and a cleanup group.645 OPS that ranked 29th, while noting that the plan could depend on which outfielder the Phillies could realistically acquire.

Dombrowski described financial constraints as a deciding factor across roster-building categories. He referenced the Phillies’ current mix of “high-end salary players” that are neither young nor old, and said the club must decide whether to complement them with other players rather than simply get older.

Beyond the outfield, Dombrowski identified bullpen needs, specifically a left-handed reliever, while also saying he likes the right-handed options the Phillies have, including Alex McFarlane and Jonathan Bowlan. He also pointed to the possibility that Brad Keller could return from elbow surgery in the final two months of the 2027 season.

He also laid out a broader depth plan: a utility infielder need, starting pitching depth as another focus, and a catchers-and-budget decision. Dombrowski said the Phillies are moving forward for now with Rafael Marchán as J.T. Realmuto’s backup, and he linked that choice to having flexibility to spend on larger holes elsewhere, particularly if the organization feels it can maintain emphasis on defense.