Philadelphia Phillies leave Gabe Kapler twisting in the wind

The Philadelphia Phillies will take their time deciding the fate of manager Gabe Kaple, with a decision likely to happen next week.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Gabe Kapler has seemingly been on the hot seat since the end of the 2018 campaign. A late season collapse saw the Phillies drop from Wild Card contention to end the year under .500, a disappointing end to what had been a promising season. With another disappointing season this past year, the hot seat has gotten even hotter for Kapler.

Even though the season ended on Sunday, Kapler remains employed – at least for now. According to Jayson Stark, a decision on his fate may not be made until sometime next week.

2019 was supposed to be the year that the Phillies were back in contention. They had opened the vaults over the previous offseason, bringing in the likes of Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, and Andrew McCutchen. Instead, the season finished as another disappointment, with Philadelphia posting an 81-81 record.

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It is easy to put some of the blame on Kapler, and question his role moving forward. There had been speculation in the previous offseason that marquee free agents were refusing to sign in Philadelphia because of his presence. His time with the Dodgers also came under scrutiny last offseason, with incidents during his time as the director of player development.

However, it is difficult to lay blame for the Phillies subpar season strictly at Kapler’s feet. Aaron Nola was really the only starter that was better than average, with the remainder of the rotation looking like a collection of back end arms. The bullpen was hammered with injuries and ineffectiveness. Kapler cannot be blamed for those shortcomings.

At this point, the best course of action may be to wait and give Kapler one more year. If the Phillies actually invest in their pitching staff, and bring in the arms to build a viable rotation, then there would not be any more excuses. Kapler would have to show that he can, in fact, be the manager of a contending franchise.

The Philadelphia Phillies may not give Gabe Kapler that chance. While they take that time, he will continue to twist in the wind, left to wonder where he will be next season.