With the season finally reaching its end, Phillies manager Gabe Kapler will soon learn whether or not he will be kept around for next season.
The Phillies have just two games remaining in the 2019 season. The players don’t really have anything to play for, barring the few who will be free agents after the year and are looking for their next major-league contract. However, Gabe Kapler is still managing to save his job.
Philadelphia enters Saturday night’s game 80-80. The chance for a winning season is still alive, but it will involve winning both of their remaining games. Kapler is still looking for a winning season, which would be a two-win improvement from last season.
Whatever way the season ends, we will soon know where Kapler stands with the organization. Managerial changes usually come either just before the season ends or right after, usually within a day or two following the last game of the season. By Monday or Tuesday, Kapler’s future as a Phillie will be much clearer.
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The growing feeling seems to be that Kapler’s tenure will soon be over. There have been far more articles insinuating or supporting the idea of firing Kapler. Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia feels like a change will soon come:
"“I’ve been doing this a long time, and when a team is going to make a managerial change you can smell it coming… and I gotta tell ya, my nostrils are working. I can smell something.”"
The logic for letting go of Kapler is pretty straightforward: he received a much-improved roster this year, yet the team fell apart toward for the second season in a row. Injuries played a signifcant role, but healthy players still underperformed.
The front office appears to be safe as they received contract extensions before the year and are executing the wishes of owner John Middleton. Meanwhile, managers are always the fall guys when a team underperforms, so don’t be surprised if Kapler becomes the fall guy.
Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that firing Kapler would allow the team to upgrade at manager. Brookover stated that John Maddon will likely be available, and his hometown’s proximity to Philadelphia could help sway him to join this team. Mike Scioscia and Buck Showalter are other notable names that have been linked to the Phillies.
Soon enough, the question about Kapler’s future in Philadelphia will be answered.