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What options do the Phillies have with struggling Seranthony Domínguez?

Seranthony Dominguez has struggled in 2024. (Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire)

The Philadelphia Phillies have a problem with reliever Seranthony Domínguez, but a solution isn’t so simple.

While Domínguez was initially a victim of some bad luck on soft contact by Los Angeles Angels hitters in Monday night’s Phillies loss, he eventually unraveled in the bottom of the seventh inning. The play that ultimately allowed the winning run to score came on a wild pitch by Domínguez, which after an errant flip by catcher Garrett Stubbs brought home two runs. The Phillies would lose the game 6-5.

Once the anchor of the Phillies bullpen, Domínguez’s ERA has spiked to 9.58. If this was just a disastrous month for the 29-year-old righty, it would be easier to write off. But it’s followed up a 2023 season where he just never seemed right, finishing the season with a 3.78 ERA and 4.84 FIP across 57 games, ultimately losing out on some higher-leverage situations to the likes of Craig Kimbrel and Jeff Hoffman.

So everyone agrees that how Domínguez has pitched since he helped the Phillies reach the 2022 World Series is alarming. But there isn’t an easy answer.

Some have suggested that the Phillies send Domínguez to Triple-A Lehigh Valley like they did with José Alvarado two years ago, a move that in hindsight proved to be career-altering. The problem is that Alvarado was still eligible to be sent to the minors at that time. Domínguez — who made his MLB debut in 2018 — has over five years of MLB service time accrued. The Phillies cannot just option Domínguez to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. That’s one of the rights you earn as a player the longer you are in the majors for.

What the Phillies could try to do is come up with a plan for what Domínguez would work on at Lehigh Valley and approximately how long he would be there, and pitch it to him. If he agreed to be sent down to Triple-A for a short period, then it would be permissible.

A struggling Brett Myers did that in 2008, even though he, like Domínguez now, had over five years of service time. Even Myers was granted 24 hours to decide whether he was on board with going to Triple-A, so it was an idea that took some warming up to. But Myers went to the minors for a few weeks, then returned to the Phillies and was moderately effective the rest of the season and on a World Series run.

Myers’ demotion, though, came in July. If the Phillies were to approach Domínguez about something similar, one would think it will be when they’ve exhausted all possibilities at the MLB level. It may feel like something has to give currently, but the calendar hasn’t even flipped to May. The most likely scenario is the Phillies ride things out for a few more weeks at least, and hope Domínguez is able to regain his form.

The other reality here is that just because Myers accepted going to Triple-A 16 years ago doesn’t mean Domínguez will now. Players work hard to earn the luxuries of world-class travel and amenities that come with being in the majors. It is a player’s contractual right after earning as much service time as Domínguez has to decline being sent to the minors. This is what collective bargaining is all about. Is there something admirable about humbling yourself like Myers did in 2008? Sure. But Myers would have been well within his rights to say no, as would Domínguez if presented with a similar possibility.

The Phillies have talked consistently about the difference in competition between Triple-A and the majors in regards to Johan Rojas benefiting from developing at the majors as opposed to Lehigh Valley. You also have an MLB coaching staff available to you from when you arrive at the ballpark early in the afternoon until game time, and those resources may be what ultimately allow you to make a necessary tweak to get back on track.

One other possibility is placing Domínguez on the injured list if there is a physical ailment contributing to his struggles. If not, though, don’t bet on a “phantom” IL stint. Former New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler is currently serving a season-long suspension for “violations of MLB’s injured list rules.”

The days of getting a guy a reset by just pretending he’s hurt or embellishing something minor may not be entirely over, but it’s much less common than it used to be. And again, Domínguez would have to be on board with any plan, because if not the Phillies would open themselves up to MLBPA grievances and league investigations.

From here, it doesn’t seem to be an injury that’s Domínguez’s problem. Perhaps there is some loss in confidence currently, but mechanical issues that have led to a lack of control are what is plaguing Domínguez right now. That’s what the Phillies need to find a solution for.

What you can bet won’t happen is Domínguez getting designated for assignment. This is someone who as recently as two years ago that was one of the better relievers in baseball. The Phillies aren’t just going to pull the plug on him, because he would probably get claimed on waivers and picked up by another contender.

Now, this is the final guaranteed year of Domínguez’s contract, and certainly things aren’t trending towards his $8 million club option for 2025 being picked up. But in the meantime, the Phillies hope to compete for a World Series, and they badly need Domínguez to give them a second reliable right-handed option out of the bullpen to go with Hoffman.