Former Phillies manager takes front office job with division rival

As the offseason continues, teams keep shuffling their front offices. The most recent move brings a familiar face back to the NL East. Gabe Kapler, former Philadelphia Phillies manager, has taken a job with the Miami Marlins.

According to the Miami Herald's Craig Mish, Kapler is taking on an assistant general manager role under the Marlins' new president of baseball operations, Peter Bendix.

Kapler, 48, managed the Phillies in 2018 and 2019 and ended his stint in the City of Brotherly Love with a 161-163 record. Under his guidance, the Phillies finished third and fourth in the NL East during his two-year tenure. He was relieved of his duties shortly after the 2019 season ended.

He wasn't out of a job for long, as the shrewd-spending San Francisco Giants came calling, enamored with his unorthodox style of on-field managing that, in theory, maximizes a roster's potential. He took over the Giants in 2020 and won the 2021 NL Manager of the Year Award after guiding his team to a 107-55 record and first place in the NL West.

The former outfielder was let go by the Giants this season — with only three games left on the schedule. He finished his time in San Francisco with a 295-248 record and had an overall record of 456-411 as a manager.

It's an interesting hire for the Marlins, as Kapler has been described as nontraditional and anti-analytical, which flies in the face of teams moving more toward analytics.

In joining the Marlins, Kapler will see more of his former team and Citizens Bank Park than he did while in the NL West. If you recall, the Phillies eliminated Miami from this year's postseason with a convincing two-game sweep in the Wild Card round.

The Phillies' first regular season encounter with the Marlins in 2024 will be a trip to Miami from May 10-12. The Fish will visit Philadelphia for the first time for a four-game set from June 27-30.

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