Another member of the Phillies coaching staff is moving to the front office
Phillies first base coach Mickey Morandini will not return to the playing field next season as a member of Gabe Kapler’s coaching staff.
Morandini and Phillies legend Dick Allen have been named team ambassadors according to the team. They’ll join the likes of Gary Matthews as public faces of the franchise during community events and fundraisers.
With Morandini now in the front office he joins former manager Pete Mackanin and bench coach Larry Bowa as coaches relegated from the dugout.
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Several positions remain open on Kapler’s staff, and Morandini’s post at first base can now be added to the list. With Dusty Wathan, Rick Kranitz, and John Mallee already on board the focus will turn to Kapler’s bench coach.
Chase Utley has been connected to the job with his history within the Phillies organization and his work with Kapler while with the Dodgers. Yankees bench coach and candidate for the Yankees manager job Rob Thomson is expected to interview for the job this week.
Juan Samuel hasn’t found a new job or been told, at least publically, whether he will return to the staff. His job at third base has been taken by Wathan, but he could return to first in place of Morandini.
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Kranitz is expected to be named pitching coach, but that move hasn’t been made official. He’d served as the bullpen coach under Mackanin since 2015 and worked with many of the young arms in the organization.