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Phillies: Five free agents to reunite with Joe Girardi

By George Stockburger

TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 09: New York Yankees Third base Todd Frazier (29) celebrates a run with Manager Joe Girardi (28) during the regular season MLB game between the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays on August 9, 2017 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 09: New York Yankees Third base Todd Frazier (29) celebrates a run with Manager Joe Girardi (28) during the regular season MLB game between the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays on August 9, 2017 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 04: Manager Joe Girardi #28 (C) and Curtis Granderson #14 (R) of the New York Yankees stand in the dugout before the game against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field on August 4, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The Yankees won 7-2. Phillies (Photo by Brian D. Kersey/Getty Images) /

The Phillies have their new manager Joe Girardi, now it’s time to surround him with some familiar players.

Phillies fans got their wish on Thursday with the announcement of Joe Girardi as the franchise’s 55th manager. The former Yankees manager is the second man in baseball history to manage a team he’d beat in the World Series as the opposing manager.

Through his 11 seasons as a manager for the Marlins and Yankees, Girardi has managed hundreds of players, most notably all-time greats such as Derek Jeter, C.C. Sabathia, and Mariano Rivera.

This offseason the Phillies will have the opportunity to reunite their new manager with several players who crossed his path in New York. Philadelphia has already reunited Girardi with his former bench coach Rob Thompson and hired former Yankees scout Brian Barber to lead their scouting department.

Here are a couple of players Girardi has previously managed who could help the Phillies in 2020.

Curtis Granderson

The Phillies have tried multiple times to acquire veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson while he was with the Miami Marlins. While no longer an everyday starter, Granderson would be a left-handed bat off the bench and a veteran voice in the clubhouse.

Granderson played under Girardi from 2010-2013 in New York and hit .245 with 115 home runs. He’s not longer the All-Star player he was in New York and Detroit, but Granderson can at least fill in a spot on the 25-man roster better than Nick Williams or Logan Morrison.

Turning 39 this offseason, Granderson would likely be signed on a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. His role on the team would depend on the futures of Jay Bruce, Adam Haseley, and Odubel Herrera.

Granderson will certainly be at the bottom of the free agent pile, but he’s worth a phone call at the very least.

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