Phillies: 2 Finalists Emerge for Hitting Coach Position
By Matt Rappa
Barring another emerging candidate, either Matt Stairs or Joe Dillon are likely to be hired as the Phillies’ new hitting coach under Joe Girardi.
In just the recent weeks since hiring Joe Girardi, the 2009 World Series-winning manager and the Phillies have already brought on Bryan Price as pitching coach and Juan Castro as infield coach.
Now, just the team’s hitting coach vacancy remains, and with team representation at this week’s GM Meetings in Arizona, a decision on who will replace John Mallee (and Charlie Manuel) as hitting coach for the 2020 season could come as soon as this week, according to The Inquirer’s Matt Breen.
Two candidates have reportedly emerged for the position. The Phillies had interest in a third candidate, according to Breen, who won the World Series twice with the New York Yankees, in 1998 and 1999, while being teammates with Girardi. However, this candidate, Chili Davis, has since agreed to a deal to return to the Phillies’ divison-rival New York Mets, according to SNY’s Andy Martino on Wednesday.
Click through to see the two remaining hitting coach candidates, the first of whom won the World Series with the Phillies in 2008; and the second won with the Washington Nationals in 2019.