After another disappointing campaign that saw the franchise miss the playoffs yet again, the Philadelphia Phillies have decided to pull the plug on manager Gabe Kapler.
Kapler, who took over at the helm of the NL East franchise prior to the 2018 season, leaves Philadelphia after only two seasons. After an offseason that saw the team spend big money on free agents such as Bryce Harper, the 81-81 record that the team finished with was just too much for team ownership to stomach.
The California native leaves the Phillies’ bench with a 161-163 record and without a playoff berth.
Reportedly, Phillies front office personnel such as general manager Matt Klentak and team president Andy MacPhail still supported Kapler as the team’s head man. However, the team’s owner, John Middleton, made the final decision to let go of the second-year manager.
Kapler was set to finish the final season of a three-year contract in the 2020 season before his dismissal.
Now, the Phillies will be tasked with finding the right man to lead their team back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2011 season. Expectations are always high in Philadelphia, and team brass will be expected to deliver with this hiring.
