A week after the resignation of ex-general manager Matt Klentak, the Phillies front office may be set to undergo more change up top. Phillies president Andy MacPhail, 68, has fancied retirement lately and the franchise would prefer to vacate his position in the near future, according to insider Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Per the report, three sources familiar with the thinking of Phillies’ owner John Middleton claim that the deep-pocketed executive hopes that MacPhail chooses to forgo the last year of his contract, or at least the baseball-related duties, anyway.
This is an important development for the future of the franchise, as many wondered if and to what extent MacPhail would have in the appointing of the next general manager. Given his desired and expected reduction in role, though, it would appear that the GM hire will be independent of MacPhail’s input.
For MacPhail, a change in role likely won’t look too much different, as he has been fairly hands-off the last few years. Careful not to overstep Klentak, MacPhail has largely served as an advisor to the club- a role he could assume moving forward.
If a vacancy is to be expected for the Phillies presidency of baseball operations, I think it would sweeten their job pitch greatly. As opposed to recruiting an external general manager to come into an already established, pre-existing front office- one that employs the former general manager in Klentak- the Phillies could initiate a full-blown staff overhaul should MacPhail relinquish his role.
Quickly approaching a decade without a playoff appearance, a front-office makeover may be exactly what the doctor ordered in Philadelphia.
Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire
