Where will the Phillies turn in their managerial search?
With Gabe Kapler no longer in the picture as of this morning, owner John Middleton and the front office are now going to be in search of a new face to run the ship that is the Philadelphia Phillies.
Leading a young club on the upswing, and realistically only needing a couple of pieces to finish the puzzle, the front office simply needs the right face to make the right moves, at the right time. Easy enough right?
Well, it’s not so simple. In Kapler, the Phillies saw a young mind that delved deep into sabermetrics to make his in-game decision. Kapler was a fan of shifting on a consistent basis and was infamous for making odd pitching staff decisions based on numbers instead of game feel. Kapler was also relentlessly positive, almost never criticizing a player for his actions on or off the field.
There have been reports of clubhouse craziness and failure to connect with the players, but the bottom line is that Kapler is gone because he could not win games despite (possibly) having the amount of talent to do so.
But who to replace Kapler? It Middleton that fired Kap, not Matt Klentak, so expect Middleton to do some heavy lifting in the hiring process. And as sad as it is to say, Charlie Manuel will be back in the front office, so count him out. Charlie was excellent at reading his players, knowing when to sit them and when to let them play through.
The Phils will need someone that resonates with the younger generation of baseball players the way Manuel did, something Kapler seemingly failed to do. Kap also had the reigns loosened, which created some conflict in the clubhouse at times. But it’s not all about making the players feel good and reading body language.
Given the way baseball is going, with all the matchup-drive style of play, the Phillies also need a manager that understands the numerical, statistics driven side of the game that is so demanded in today’s day and age.
It seems like the Phils need someone with MLB experience, can handle a locker room, and knows how to handle a roster with today’s play style. It’s going to be very tough balance to find in one person, but it’s certainly not impossible.
Who are the hot candidates for the Phillies manager job?
Joe Maddon is the hot name in baseball right now, but it seems as though Maddon is heading to Los Angeles to manage for the Angels.
Because of this, it seems like former Yankee Manager Joe Girardi is the front-runner in terms of possible candidates. Girardi is known for winning the 2009 World Series with the Yanks (against the Phillies), but don’t let that deter you. Girardi knows how to run a clubhouse, he won’t shy from the big Philadelphia market, and he remains sharp in terms of understanding the modern game.
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Girardi will be at the top of the list for most teams in the hunt for a manager, but given the Phillies ability to win now as well as their deep pockets, he might be wearing red and white pinstripes next year.
Other possibilities that make legitimate sense include Buck Showalter and John Farrell. Given the Phillies front office ties to Baltimore, hiring an experienced manager like Buck that will whip a clubhouse into shape seems logical.
However, will Showalter remain old school or will he have a balanced outlook on roster construction, shifting, bullpen usage, etc.? It will remain unseen until the hiring is complete.
As for Farrell, he managed a world series winner in the Boston Red Sox, but was fired in favor of the younger Alex Cora.
It seems that as of right now, the Phils are trending in the direction of going with experience over youth, a big swing from having a manager like Kapler. There will be more names released soon, but for now, the Phils are going with stability. And with a roster that only needs a few more additions, stability might be just what they need.