After a long, drawn out, and truly bizarre process where the owner was deciding whether to fire the manager, Gabe Kapler is out as the Phillies manager.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 10, 2019
That leaves the market with a whopping eight managerial spots to fill, including the Cubs.
Will their be overlap in the Cubs’ search and the Phillies? I’m not so sure. I tend to think, with an owner as aggressively involved as John Middleton is, you’re going to see the Phillies go for a veteran, established manager (Buck Showalter type?), rather than the guys the Cubs are looking at (outside of Joe Girardi).
Kapler’s two years in Philly came after a very successful stint in player development for the Dodgers, so I’d imagine he’s going to be able to find work fairly quickly in some capacity if he wants. His unique style – and frequently-questioned decision-making – always caught heat from Phillies fans and media, so it always kinda seemed like his days were numbered, especially after another disappointing season despite big spending.
More on this and on the Cubs’ search soon.