After dismissing ex-manager Gabe Kapler following a brief two-year stint in Philly, the fightin’ Phils are reportedly set to hire their new skipper sometime this week. Approaching two weeks since the job has been vacated, the Phillies’ managerial search is presumably down to three finalists- Buck Showalter, Joe Girardi, and Dusty Baker. Though all three would represent a vast upgrade from the aforementioned Kapler, 3x NL Manager of the Year Dusty Baker is thought to be a distant third behind Girardi and Showalter for the vacant role.
The Phillies are reportedly looking for a healthy blend of “analytics and tradition” in their next manager, so that could explain why the 70-year old, non-analytically styled Baker, despite his accomplishments, is considered a dark horse to land the job.