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Odds to Be Phillies Next Manager Favor Showalter at +250, Girardi at +350

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in MLB Baseball

Updated Apr 22, 2020 · 3:29 PM PDT

Buck Showalter with the Orioles
Buck Showalter is favored to be the next manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. Photo by Keith Allison (Flickr) [CC License].
  • Former Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter is the +250 favorite to be named the next manager of the Philadelphia Phillies
  • Gabe Kapler was fired as manager of the Phillies on Thursday
  • Philadelphia was 161-163 in two seasons with Kapler as skipper

Will the Philadelphia Phillies be the next stop for Buck Showalter? Oddsmakers believe that to be the most logical path for the team to take.

The Phillies fired manager Gabe Kapler on Thursday, just two seasons after giving the former major-league outfielder his first big-league managerial position.

The Phillies were two games below .500 (161-163) with Kapler in charge.

Showalter is the +250 favorite to be hired as Philadelphia’s next manager.

Philadelphia Phillies Next Manager Odds

Manager Odds
Buck Showalter +250
Joe Girardi +350
Dusty Wathan +450
John Farrell +600
Dusty Baker +750
Joe Espada +750
Joe Maddon +1000
Rob Thomson +1000
Charlie Manuel +1200
Mike Scioscia +1400

*Odds taken on 10/11/19.

The Phillies finished fourth in the National League East Division this season at 81-81. They were 16 games behind the division-winning Atlanta Braves and eight games out of the second NL Wild Card playoff position.

Kapler Crapped Out With Phillies

If you want to make the playoffs, acquire some ex-Detroit Tigers pitchers. Both the Washington Nationals (Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez) and Houston Astros (Justin Verlander) are getting great mileage from former Tigers hurlers.

If you want to make the playoffs, don’t hire an ex-Tiger to manage your team. Kapler is the second to be dismissed already this season. Earlier, the Los Angeles Angels fired Brad Ausmus.

Harper’s Bizarre Phillies Debut

When the Phillies signed free agent outfielder and 2015 NL MVP Bryce Harper to a 13-year, $330-million contract in the winter, they immediately moved among the contenders in the 2019 World Series odds.

Philly opened the season at odds of +1300 to win it all, and remained in that ballpark for most of the first two months of the season. At one point in late May, their odds were also low as +850.

On June 12th, the Phillies lost 2-0 to the Arizona Diamondbacks and relinquished first place in the NL East for the final time.

They were nine games above .500 at that point (38-29) but were nine games below .500 the rest of the way (43-52). It was the second year in a row they’d faded badly in the second half under Kapler, finishing with +15000 World Series odds.

A Curt Offer

No one asked but former Phillies pitcher Curt Schilling confidently threw his name out there to be considered as Phillies manager.

Schilling spent nine seasons as a Phillies pitcher. He’s never been a big-league coach or manager. After baseball, the three-time World Series champion worked for ESPN until he was fired in 2016 for making anti-transgender posts to social media.

Lately, he hosts his own podcast where he can freely espouse his right-wing political views.

Schilling probably shouldn’t wait by the phone for the Phillies to call.

Showalter Makes Sense

Showalter has history with the front-office staff of the Phillies. It was Phillies president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail who hired Showalter to manage the Baltimore Orioles in 2010. Phillies general manager Matt Klentak, worked in the Orioles’ front office at the time.

On the other hand, McPhail was also CEO of the Cubs when Dusty Baker was hired as manager there.

The Phillies want an experienced manager. Joe Maddon is likely heading to the Angels but Mike Scioscia could be in play for the Philadelphia job.

Showalter has let it be known that he’d be interested in a return to the show as a manager. With the Orioles, between 2012-16, Baltimore won more games (444) under his direction than any other American League team.

Pick: Buck Showalter (+250).

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