Philadelphia Phillies: The GM job no one wants
The Philadelphia Phillies need a general manager, but first, they have to find someone that actually wants the job.
Back at the beginning of October, the Philadelphia Phillies made the decision to re-assign former general manager Matt Klentek within the front office. Ned Rice was named as the interim GM with the idea that a more permanent solution would be forthcoming. And yet, now that we are in the middle of December, absolutely nothing has changed.
It is not for a lack of effort. The Phillies have attempted to attract several candidates, ranging from Theo Epstein to Josh Byrnes to Thad Levine. However, none of those parties wanted to either leave their situations or head to Philadelphia.
At this point, it is fair to wonder whether or not anyone actually wants this job. While the Phillies are reportedly close to adding Dave Dombrowski as the new president of baseball operations, no one has stepped up when it comes to the GM vacancy.
More Phillies. Middleton denies Wheeler rumors. light
That opening may be even more difficult to fill now. Those budgetary issues, coupled with the expected new leader of baseball ops penchant for spending money without any regard for the future, leaves the team with a questionable direction.
Normally, this would seem to be an attractive job. The Phillies have pieces to build around with Bryce Harper, Aaron Nola, Alec Bohm, and Zack Wheeler. The issues facing the roster are obvious. And this is an owner who, just a couple years ago, promised that he would spend “crazy money” to improve the roster.
But times have changed. The Phillies vaults have run empty. The farm system is barren. Those holes on the roster are now gaping chasms, especially behind the plate and in the bullpen. Wheeler may or may not be on the trade block, depending on which hour it is. The Phillies are in a state of chaos with absolutely no idea what direction they are heading in.
Next. Three moves for the Phillies. dark
It is not a surprise that the Philadelphia Phillies are having issues finding a new general manager. That quest may not get much easier as time goes on.