Phillies Resembling Retirement Community: This Week In Philly Sports

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Philles are becoming a retirement community.

Whether baseball is played in 2027 due to a potential lockout, Dave Dombrowski said that he is sticking around for some time.

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The Philadelphia Phillies vice president of baseball operations held a press conference on Thursday to state that he may "bring it back" once again after already doing so again and again and again.

Interim Manager Don Mattingly is now the team's manager, getting a two-year contract after taking over last year and taking the team to its fifth straight playoff appearance.

Dombrowski, when asked about a contract extension, said he plans on sticking around for several years to come.

And since most of the team's older players are under contract for next year, the dugout might seem more like a retirement community.

Instead of The Phillies getting a shot of youth, this team hopes to be drinking from the Fountain of Youth.

Dombrowski said that he needs to get the team's older players "off their feet" more during the season.

Maybe we'll start seeing some rocking chairs in the dugout next year.

Dombrowski said that Bryce Harper will be penciled in to mainly play first base, although he could play some in right field if the team needs some help now and then.

He said that Kyle Schwarber would spell Harper at first base at times so Harp can be the designated hitter here and there.

Catcher JT Realmuto may play less games next year as well to maybe help his hitting, which really slumped last year, Dombrowski said.

It's different with pitchers because they take the ball like every five days so Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler can still play shuffleboard between starts.

Philly fans have complained for several years that Dombrowski keeps bringing back the same team with some tweaks.

That will happen once again because of the big and long contracts. And if Dombo sticks around, it may remain that way.

But the core is aging, and that impact shows in their playoff performances.

So the lineup will feature fewer games next year for the team's stars.

There won't be any cleaning house. Instead, Citizens Bank Park may be the city's newest retirement community.

Come see the same players on the same team producing the same results.

Maybe it will lead to another playoff appearance.

And maybe the players will once again head into the sunset early in the playoffs again, just in time to get a table for those Early Bird specials.