5:15pm: Gillick tells ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (links to Twitter) that Amaro will retain full authority at least through the end of the season. “Ruben is going to be the GM through the end of the season,” said Gillick. “He’s going to make any of the deals that we make. He still has that authority. That’s his job — to change personnel. That’s not going to change.”
1:38pm: The Phillies announced that they have hired MacPhail, who will serve as a special assistant to Gillick for the remainder of the season before assuming the role of president at the end of the year. The team’s official statement is as follows:
“The Phillies announced today the hiring of Andy MacPhail to succeed Pat Gillick as president of the club following Gillick’s retirement shortly after the season ends. As president, MacPhail will oversee the entire organization, both its business and baseball operations. For the remainder of the season, MacPhail will serve as a special assistant to Gillick, during which time he will work closely with Gillick and chief operating officer Michael Stiles to become acclimated with the club’s operations and its personnel.”
Phillies principal owner John Middleton praised MacPhail’s blend of traditional baseball acumen and his prowess with analytics in a statement issued with today’s press release:
“Andy brings an uncommon blend of old school experience and new age thinking. … In 1986, Andy was the youngest GM in the history of Major League Baseball when he served in that role for the Twins. The following year, he became the youngest GM to win a World Series title. When the Orioles hired him eight years ago, Andy became the first president of baseball operations in Major League Baseball. During his tenure in Baltimore, he greatly expanded the use of statistical analysis in player evaluations. That’s the new age thinking.”
10:16am: The Phillies have called a press conference at 2:30pm ET to “announce new Phillies leadership.” As MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki indicates, the presser will announce the widely expected hiring of Andy MacPhail to head the team’s baseball operations department (Twitter links). However, he adds that no new manager will be named this afternoon, and Ruben Amaro will remain in the GM’s chair, for now.
Last week, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that MacPhail would be hired within the week to fill a role similar to that of interim president Pat Gillick. Reports of the club’s interest in MacPhail date back to mid-June, when CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury first broke the news.
By bringing MacPhail on board, the Phillies will hire an executive with experience in leading three franchises. MacPhail was the Twins’ GM during the team’s 1987 and 1991 World Series victories. He served as the Cubs’ president for more than a decade from the mid-90s into the mid-2000s, including the team’s 1998 and 2003 postseason berths. MacPhail moved from Chicago to Baltimore, where he served as president of baseball operations and helped lay the foundation for the perennial contender that is now in place in Baltimore. MacPhail acquired Adam Jones and Chris Tillman in a lopsided trade that sent Erik Bedard to Seattle, and he also acquired Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter from the Rangers in exchange for Koji Uehara. J.J. Hardy‘s presence in Baltimore is also MacPhail’s doing; he acquired the shortstop from the Twins (alongside the remaining money on Brendan Harris‘ contract) in exchange for relievers Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson.
By coming on board with more than a month until the trade deadline, MacPhail will be in position to do some evaluation and weigh in on what is expected to be a franchise-altering month for the Phillies. Names like Aaron Harang, Jonathan Papelbon and Ben Revere could all find themselves traded within the month, but the most impactful expected move, is of course, a potential trade of Cole Hamels. The longtime Phillies ace is the type of elite arm that can command a package significant enough to single-handedly reshape the team’s future, and the veteran executive will now be in place to have some input on that critical trade.
Additionally, MacPhail will be able to evaluate internal matters, including Amaro’s position with the team and, potentially, the hiring of a new manager to oversee the club in the wake of Ryne Sandberg’s resignation.
Should have been done at the start of the year. Have a GM for the 76ers thats celebrated for losing and a GM for the phillies who’s a buffoon. What a combination
Another excellent example of how much Phillies fans like to complain: announce good news and it’s met with a complaint that it should have happened earlier.
Worst fans in the sport…and I have to root with them.
Is he wrong? The whole thing feels like a half-measure. I get that MacPhail needs some time to evaluate the organization, but “we’re announcing the hiring of our new president except he isn’t really the president and also he won’t be in charge of anything until 2016 — never fear, the same people who got you here are still in charge” isn’t exactly a rousing rebuilding plan.
I don’t believe Amaro will be around too long because they want to get someone in who will be there for the future. Also, Im hoping for Ron Washington as the new manager.
MacPhail must like horror movies because he’s walking into one…
I hardly call having a much improved farm system with legitimate prospects rising through the system, high draft picks next year, increased Latin American signings and only one major contract left over(Ryan Howard-after trades) for 2016 a bad situation for the future rebuild. McPhail has started with much less before and succeeded as Amaro has left some building blocks.
I completely agree, but I also have sympathy for anyone that wants to state that the rebuild took too long and the Phillies have been questionable ran in the GM seat. You ultimately want leadership that’s a step ahead of the fan base and that can instill confidence…rather than one that only comes to an agreement with the reality a year behind 99% of anyone else that cares. Phillies need leadership..and hopefully they are getting it in both the front office and the dugout. This is a a solid baseball environment, and has been so in the past… I’m optimistic that August and September will be hopeful times for Phillies fans.
Whatever the Phillies may say in their press releases or news conferences, it’s safe to assume that there is NO WAY that MacPhail doesn’t have final authority over team decisionmaking, effective right now. For propriety’s sake, the Phils aren’t going to shove Gillick out the door… but there’s zero chance that MacPhail would have saddled up on this horse now if he didn’t get control of the reins as well.
MacPhail pretty much said it’d be stupid to hand the team over to him now. He isn’t current on the players and the game has changed in the last three years. He doesn’t believe he could do the job today but does believe he’ll be ready to do it October 1.
He’s also not going to just sit back and let assets be moved from a team he is going to inherit with no sat. I think the chances of Cole Hamels being traded declined.
That might not be a horrible thing if it enables a better deal because more teams might be involved in the offseason. What I took from the latest update was the lame duck status of Amaro. It’s just too bad they don’t have the front office in place to deal with their needs at this point.
I very much doubt Hamels has more value when other pitchers are out there as free agents. The teams not willing to spend money on a top pitcher as a FA probably aren’t teams Hamels would want to go to.
I think the absolute peak value is right now.
Sadly I have to agree with timpa here. If the Phillies are going to trade Hamels, this trade deadline is the time to do it. If there was only 1 marquee SP on the FA market, I’d say okay the teams that miss out on him may be willing to fork over the prospects and cash for Hamels. But with so many good-great SP available this offseason, I really don’t see that happening. If they’re going to keep him, fine (even though I believe that would be a mistake unless the offers really were that bad). But if you’re going to move him, don’t wait til the offseason.
I agree too. Two+ months of Hamels plus the rest of his deal has a lot of value at this deadline, but at the end of the year it’s a “give up prospect value for Hamels” vs. “pay nothing but money for Cueto or Zimmerman” comparison, and I think the reasonably expected haul would diminish accordingly.