Evaluation of the Phillies 2019 Season - Front Office Edition

Well this season is not going according to plan. Of course, that's typical of baseball. However, this is not just baseball being baseball: Things should have gone better especially within a few games of McCutchen's injury. Despite their struggles, the team is 2.0 games back of the wild card with 20 to play. The Cubs are in control but Arizona, Milwaukee, and the Mets are within four games - that's one good series away from leading the pack. The Nats currently hold a 3-game lead for the top spot. My prediction for the Phillies is barely out of the playoffs come game 162 but an 85-77 record (five more wins than last year), again not what we envisioned after signing Harper and doing so well to start the year. It cost John Mallee. Who's next in terms of coaches and front office? I outline that here.

Middleton

He got Bryce, extended MacPhail & Klentak and pushed for Mallee’s firing but those moves aren’t working out. He does pay attention to the fans’ input and did have the foresight to rebuild after 2012 (and pushed Amaro to start the process  out) but he delayed telling us about the extensions and was extremely slow to react to us in the Mallee situation. I don’t think any sort of change in ownership should be mandated by MLB but the accountability has to improve. Grade: C+/B- (79.5%)

MacPhail

All I can say is he has been largely absent from the view of fans outside his two pressers. Another presser was needed for sure. Given his extension and his role largely being invisible anyway, I’m ok with keeping him but no more extensions. Grade: F+ (58%)

Klentak

Ultimately relying solely on the offense to carry our team was a mistake but a decision that could have gone either way given the need for flexibility at the trade deadline. He acquired a lot of guys recently and they’ve helped keep the team afloat better than the Opening Day crop of starters. Injuries, of course, really hurt the bullpen this year but If I were to tell you (at the beginning of his tenure) that every one of Klentak’s signings (Bryce was Middleton’s) would be a disaster, I would be laughed at. Yes, I’ll give him a little credit for setting up the Harper signing. But what are the odds of injuries and poor performance, especially these players? No, I have no qualms with how careful he was during F.A. but his dugout coaching decisions were awful. Hiring Kapler was the worst mistake he made (20/10 vision based on Gabe’s previous [lack of] coaching experience/ success). Firing MacKanin may have been worse but at the very least, he was fired a year too early.

No more extensions, especially with Mike Trout essentially an Angel for life. Matt MUST demote Kapler to a front-office assistant or fire him altogether. Will that occur? There’s no guarantee but the odds increased a few weeks ago and the move MUST happen. I’ll then give Matt two years to get this team up and running (coaching staff) but the roster MUST make the postseason next year. Yes, the 2020 roster (2019 + Klentak cleaning it up a bit) can make the postseason on their own. We won’t know how far they can go until we have at least a year of the new manager. Grade: F (50%)

Kapler

You knew where I stand based on my evaluation of Klentak. Gabe seldom uses the eye test. His players are out of touch with him (a la the recent Cesar Hernandez punishment). And there’s no knowing how far he can take this team if it makes the postseason this year or next. I’m willing to bet he doesn’t make the Fall Classic nor manage or coach a team again once he’s fired (outside shot of being a strength/ conditioning coach) but that’s his fault. Grade: F- (40%)

Roster & Coaches

The rest of the roster will be evaluated more closely toward the end of the season but I have some preliminary thoughts. I’d say Hernandez & Franco go and Segura stays at least a year. Bruce is under contract - KEEP HiM HERE!!! Gotta extend Realmuto with Knapp getting one more year. Not sure about the bullpen or rotation (demotions coming mostly). That’ll be addressed in F.A. Unfortunately, we’re stuck with Arietta but we could add Hamels. Definitely need some players in the minors to step up next year, which will give me a lot more hope for 2021 in addition to 2020. AA Reading won their division so I’m thinking that scenario will occur.

Manuel probably won’t want to stay on. The bullpen coach was dealt a bad hand with the injuries so he can stay but Young’s mound visits didn’t make a difference most of the time. Send him out. I think Dusty should be the next manager. He’s ready now (would’ve been ready this year if Matt had given MacKanin another year). The strength and conditioning philosophy all the way down needs to be reevaluated with all the injuries and inability of our pitchers to pitch deep into games. Does this require a change in S&C staff? Maybe. Most important is to extend some of these bullpen guys from the day they are signed (the month or so after the draft).