2019 MLB Season: The Managerial Hot Seat
By Bill Felber
Gabe Kapler, Philadelphia Phillies
When the Phillies threw all their “stupid money” at Bryce Harper, Jean Segura, Andrew McCutcheon, David Robertson, and J.T. Realmuto entering the 2019 MLB season, they also lobbed a very real challenge at the feet of second-year manager Gabe Kapler: Win…or else.
Phils management essentially increased their payroll by 50 percent this coming season, from about $95 million to about $140 million. That kind of spending bump comes with expectations, and Kapler is the man tasked with fulfilling them.
Yes, it helps that he has another season to go on the three-year deal he signed prior to the 2018 season. Terms of that deal have not been released, but given his lack of previous managerial experience, it is unlikely that he ranks among the upper half, which would put him in the $750,000 range.
Kapler’s situation is made potentially more precarious by several ancillary factors. The Phillies raised expectations last season and then finished poorly. They were 15 games above .500 a week into August, but went 16-33 over the final seven weeks and finished below .500. The flurry of off-season activity has only further intensified those expectations.
Finally, there’s the NL East itself. Like the Phillies, the Mets also spent heavily and the result is envisioned to be a taut four-team battle also involving the Nationals and the 2018 division champion Braves.
If the Phillies find themselves at the bottom end of that chase, it could be trouble for Kapler. The same, of course, could also be said for…