Phillies: 14 candidates to replace manager Gabe Kapler

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 01: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Managers John Farrell #53 of the Boston Red Sox and Joe Girardi #28 of the New York Yankees shake hands during Opening Day ceremonies at Yankee Stadium on April 1, 2013 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Red Sox defeated the Yankees 8-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

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14 MAR 2016: Manager Buck Showalter of the Orioles during the spring training game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire) (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Buck Showalter

The name Buck Showalter has been floated as a candidate for the Phillies job for a couple of weeks, at first in passing and now as a leading candidate for the job.

Jayson Stark of The Athletic first mentioned Showalter’s name multiple on 97.5 The Fanatic prior to Kapler being fired:

"“They could be in position where some big name managers are available…Buck Showalter has been sitting out there for a year.”"

Showalter was hired by Phillies team president Andy MacPhail to lead the Baltimore Orioles from 2010 to 2018. Now 63, Showalter is looking for his fifth manager job since 1992.

Philadelphia Phillies /

Philadelphia Phillies

Despite being a manager for 20 years, Showalter has never won a pennant, and only twice has he taken a team to the league championship series. After he left the Yankees in 1995 and the Diamondbacks in 2000, both teams won the World Series the following year.

Is Showalter just a firely setup guy for the next manager to win a World Series, or can he lead a young team and seal the deal? He’s won over 1,500 games, but the lack of success in the playoffs is a concern.

Showalter is certainly the complete opposite of Kapler and he has the connection to MacPhail, both of which help his case. He’s managed in the biggest sports market in the world and led the Orioles, a team with no financial flexibility, to the playoffs.

The 2020 Phillies could be one of the best rosters Showalter has ever had, and if he can bring some fire and push the young guys to another level, the Phillies would be in fantastic shape.