Joe Girardi fired: Who will be 2023 Phillies manager?
PHILADELPHIA (BVM) — After a 22-29 start with a $229 million dollar Opening Day payroll, ranking the fourth highest in MLB, the Philadelphia Phillies have decided to part ways with manager Joe Girardi. Girardi finished his tenure in Philadelphia with a 132-141 record in 3 seasons without a postseason appearance.
Bench coach Rob Thomson will fill in as the interim manager for the rest of the 2022 season, but who will the Phillies look at this offseason? Here are the top managerial candidates for the 2023 season.
- Carlos Beltran
Beltran accepted the manager position in 2019 with the New York Mets, but after more details of the Houston Astros scandal surfaced, the Mets decided to go in a different route and cut ties with Beltran. A nine-time all star in 20 MLB seasons, Beltran was seen at the time as a crucial veteran with Astro and Yankee teams late in his career. Now with his reputation having taken a hit, it is fair to wonder if the leadership qualities that made him a manager candidate in the first place are legitimate. Beltran currently works for YES Network, filling in as a color commentator during Yankee games.
- Brad Ausmus
If the Phillies want to bring in someone young who also has some manager experience, Ausmus could be their guy. Ausmus has served two managerial stints, one with Detroit from 2014 through 2017 and the other being in Anaheim with the Angels for the 2019 season. Ausmus has a 386-422 career record as a manager with one postseason appearance during his first season with the Tigers. Ausmus is currently the bench coach under Mark Kotsay for the Oakland Athletics.
- Mike Scioscia
The remaining candidates have a pretty good track record of success, starting with Mike Scioscia. After replacing Terry Collins following the 1999 season, Scioscia managed the Angels for 18 years, winning a World Series in 2002. Scioscia built up a career record of 1,650-1,428 before retiring in 2018. Despite being retired, Scioscia is still only 63 and may have another run in him.
- Bruce Bochy
Bochy is another retired manager but is a slam dunk hire if the Phillies can talk him into returning to baseball. Bochy has managed for a total of 25 years, 12 with San Diego and more notably, his 13 seasons with San Francisco. Bochy has 2,003 career wins, making him one of only 11 managers in MLB history to eclipse the 2,000 mark. Besides that, Bochy has three World Series rings. Bochy may be the most unlikely hire on the list, but it would be worth Dave Dombrowski’s time to at least reach out.
- Ron Washington
Washington seemed to be one of the hotter names in last year’s coaching carousel, so it was a little surprising when he returned as the Braves’ third base coach in 2022. The 70-year-old managed the Texas Rangers from 2007-2014, twice leading them to World Series appearances. Washington sports a 664-611 career record, making him the most realistic and best hire that the Phillies can make.
