During the 2024 MLB season, the Philadelphia Phillies front office ended up making various moves over the course of the year.
Whether it was through signings in free agency or by trades with other teams, their hope was that they would end up helping the players succeed and give them the best chance at winning. In addition, there were also other moves that the Phillies decided not to pursue, believing that they already have that aspect covered with their current core group.
In the end, when all was said and done, some of the moves worked out for the Phillies. However, for a select few, the moves blew up in their faces big time, which may have ultimately led to their demise in a disappointing end to their 2024 season.
Here, we will take a look at four horrible decisions by Dave Dombrowski and the front office that ended up backfiring on the Phillies this season.
4 horrible front office decisions that backfired on the Phillies in 2024
Signing Whit Merrifield
During the past offseason, the Phillies made their biggest splash when they signed veteran utilityman Whit Merrifield in free agency.
As a former three-time All-Star who also led the AL in hits twice and stolen bases on three other occasions, Philadelphia believed that he could be a huge contributor to the club with his combination of elite hitting, speed and positional flexibility. Especially when he was coming off a strong 2023 season with the Toronto Blue Jays in which he batted .272 with a .700 OPS, 66 runs scored, 27 doubles, 11 home runs, 67 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 145 games.
However, Merrifield turned out to be a huge disappointment for the Phillies. He put up some of the worst numbers of his career. In 53 games, he compiled a dismal .199 average and .572 OPS, with just 21 runs scored, four doubles, three home runs, 11 RBI and 11 stolen bases.
Merrifield didn’t even last the season as the Phillies ultimately released him in July. To add insult to injury, he eventually joined the Atlanta Braves and actually played a small yet valuable role in their run to make the postseason.
As a result, the front office’s biggest offseason signing failed in all aspects during his tenure with the Phillies and ended up helping a division rival instead. It’s likely a decision they wish they could have back.
