AP sources: Phillies hire Dombrowski to lead baseball ops

Philadelphia Phillies have hired longtime baseball executive Dave Dombrowski as president of baseball operations, according to two people familiar with decision.

people spoke to Associated Press on condition of anymity Thursday night because team hadn’t anunced move. An official anuncement is expected Friday, according to one of people.

Andy MacPhail is Phillies' current president and has planned to retire after 2021 season. He said in October he would be willing to step aside sooner to make way for a new baseball operations boss.

Dombrowski has led baseball operations for Montreal, Miami, Detroit and Boston, winning World Series titles with Marlins in 1997 and Red Sox in 2018.

64-year-old Dombrowski was fired by Boston in September 2019 amid a disappointing follow-up to championship run.

Dombrowski is kwn for aggressively acquiring established major league talent, both by spending on free nts and trading away top prospects. He'll take over a franchise unlikely to do much of former in near future due to existing big contracts and burden of coronavirus pandemic.

A person familiar with Phillies’ finances told AP last week team lost $145 million during pandemic-shortened 2020 season played without fans. person spoke on condition of anymity because team hadn’t officially released figures.

Phillies signed slugger Bryce Harper to a $330 million, 13-year deal in 2019, and y have millions more tied up in deals for Zack Wheeler, Andrew McCutchen, Jean Segura and Aaron la.

Philadelphia finished 28-32 last season, one win shy of ending a nine-year playoff drought. Phillies haven’t had a winning season since taking five straight division titles, two National League pennants and one World Series crown from 2007-11.

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AP Sports Writer Jake Seiner contributed to this report.

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