Five questions the Phillies need to answer this offseason

By John Town | Oct 10, 2017

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 30: Maikel Franco #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies is congratulated by Odubel Herrera #37 after he hit a home run during the second inning of a game against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on September 30, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 29: Phillies General Manager Matt Klentak and manager Pete Mackanin /

Who will be the next manager?

The Phillies made a surprising move at the end of the season, announcing that Pete Mackanin will not be returning as manager for the 2018 season. Considering that he received a contract extension earlier in the year, it was definitely a bit strange that he lost the job, especially considering the step forward the team took at the end of the year.

However, general manager Matt Klentak stressed that he wanted a manager in place that could lead the team to the playoffs, and clearly he felt that was not Mackanin.

Moving forward, it remains up in the air who will be the next manager. Whoever winds up being hired for the job will likely dictate the team’s strategy moving forward. It could be an old-school baseball lifer or a younger, fresher face taking over the position. Several candidates have emerged, including Triple-A manager Dusty Wathan, former Marlins manager and current Rockies bench coach Mike Redmond, and Orioles manager Buck Showalter.

Whoever the new manager winds up being, it will likely be one of the first things addressed in the offseason.

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