The Yankees have a couple of “assistant GM-types” that the Phillies might look into if they decide not to stick with interim GM Ned Rice for the 2021 season, Jon Heyman posits on his new podcast with Tony Gwynn Jr. There still remains a decent chance that the Phillies give Rice the year in the GM seat, however.
If they do decide to look outside the organization, Heyman submits someone like Jim Hendry – not an AGM, but a special assistant to GM Brian Cashman – to receive consideration from the Phillies to fill their GM vacancy. It’s been a bit since Hendry’s name surfaced for a GM opening, but the former Cubs’ executive does have ties to Team President Andy MacPhail, as well as manager Joe Girardi. MacPhail promoted Hendry to the GM role in Chicago way back in 2002. He served as the Cubs’ GM until after the 2011 season. He was hired on as a special assistant to Brian Cashman in 2012.
Hendry’s relationship with Girardi could prove an important element, and that holds for any new candidate coming into Philadelphia. Girardi is respected in the organization and heading into just the second year of his deal. For the Phillies to hit the ground running with a new lead man in the baseball ops department, they would prefer to do so without having to reset in the dugout yet again.
Yankees Vice President of Baseball Operations Tim Naehring and Vice President of Domestic Amateur Scouting Damon Oppenheimer are two other names that Heyman suggests the Phillies might take a look at from the Yankees front office.
A good candidate from the Rays organization is Erik Neander to occupy the position of GM for the Phillies.
He is their GM. He wouldn’t leave.
How do you know? Don’t all these guys eventually leave? Silverman runs baseball operations. Neander would carry an Assistant GM title in an organization that didn’t have a PoBO or equivalent. Give him all baseball operations, pay him the $$ the Rays can’t, and give him a nice budget, also something the Rays can’t.
I’m not saying he’s the guy, but I also wouldn’t assume he wouldn’t leave to go to a bigger market. History says he will.
Sternberg will let anyone go to greener pastures if they wish. He rewards good performances with lifeboats. Friedman, Madden, anyone.
But the Rays can offer patience and time. A market like Philly cannot. You can work in relative peace and the proof is in the pudding that it works.
As for the Yankees connections, I wonder if Eppler might find a home under the new GM if he comes from NYY. He might have been a poor GM, but he was a solid assistant under Cashman.
Klentak had 5 years. How much patience & time do you need?
Odds are Neander would have to be given a more prestigious position — such as exec VP or even team president — to get him out of St Pete.
Wouldn’t surprise me at all if he left. A lot of those gms and execs from low payroll organizations eventually leave. They have an opportunity to use their experience of getting value from young talent while having the access to funds to add superstars around that talent. As much success as TB has had most would love to be able to spend more to get over the hump and win a WS.
I hear Dick Williams is available!
The Philadelphia Yankees are now looking at New York for their new gm. This is too good.
A good rule of thumb is ignore any reports from Heyman or Nightingale. Both just think of something that might happen and report it as if they have inside info, but their track record, outside of leaksby boras to heyman, are the worst by far and it id sad that mlb trade rumors even includes their reports.
Yup.
You have that right! I was listening to Heyman’s podcast with the first round of playoff picks and he had most of them wrong.
Giving Rice the job for just one year. Is a AWFUL Move. If JT doesn’t stay he will just be the fall guy. I’m one of the few who thinks Phillies should let JT walk(but I’m in the Minority)
Me thinks they already fired/demoted their fall guy for losing JT.
I disagree. They fired Klentak because he was lousy at his job and the team didn’t win. Until JT signs the Phillies have a legit shot to sign him.
They definitely have as good of a chance as anyone. I just don’t know if it makes sense to considering all their needs.
A 30year old C who reports say turned down 5years 125mil. I would go after Bauer and spend money on pitching. Knapp/Marchan can platoon at C. Just not sure Marchan is ready. Could also add a cheaper C like McCann(Sox)
They might have the pieces to trade for Contreras (with 2 years of control left) but it wouldn’t be cheap. They could spend on Bauer.
I’m with you as well on JT. Moreso, I like what whoever was on WIP last night said. If he gets something crazy you can justify it and sign McCann for much less and perhaps at better value. You can’t lose out on him if he doesn’t get blown away though, those optics are rough. If it’s my choice, I’m monitoring both markets. If some team is offering $25 as a starting price and McCann looks to sign soon i’m pulling the trigger on McCann. Not getting JT would be rough, but not getting either is crushing. There’s arguably a bigger step down in value from McCann to the field then from JT to McCann given what each guy will get.
I agree 110%. Reports say phillies offered JT 5-125mil. His agent wanted 6-150/160mil. For a 30 year old C. That’s too steep a price. Also Mlb needs to make a ruling on the full time DH rule in both leagues. That could lessen the workload on JT and allow a long deal.
i wouldnt even do 6 then. that’s just absurd and no one’s doing that.
Good GM’s operate based on value. Not optics. If you think that JT will provide value on whatever you are giving him then fine, you do that. But it’s a terrible argument to say that they have to sign him because they traded for him. The trade is a sunk cost. He’s just another free agent.
I disagree on just value. JT I’m sure will be solid value for 4-5 years. The fact is the Phillies have too many holes to sink another 25mil+ into a position player. When the pitching and other holes need addressed.
I tend to agree on that as well. JT is a great Cand team leader, but he will ultimately end up at 1B….which isn’t the worst scenario, but with Bohm trending to 1b?? Might be a problem down the line.
I’d LOVE to see some of that $$$ go to (obviously) pitching, but maybe even George Springer. It’ll cost…but locking in SpringerHarper for the near future?? OK by me.
As I mentioned above, they could save money for Bauer by trading for Wilson Contreras with 2 years left of control. He’s much improved defensively and a solid bat. But he wouldn’t come cheap.
Not Hendry – horrible with Cubs – didn’t know a baseball player from a basketball player.
He did draft Javy Baez…but yeah there’s not a ton else to add to his credentials otherwise lol
Hendry is better suited for the special advisor role he’s had with the Yankees for years. His last turn at GM wasn’t viewed positively and he’s said on multiple occasions he’s not interested in returning to a GM role. Naehring is highly regarded but he had reservations about being promoted to his current AGM role five years back when he replaced Eppler. Didn’t want to move and impact his family, which the Yankees accommodated. Speaking of Eppler, he wouldn’t be a bad option. He inherited a mess in Anaheim, made improvements, and many issues he had related to their owner, who treats the Angels as his toy. Eppler and Girardi go way back. That said, the Phillies should not let their current manager dictate who they select as GM. I doubt they are. Heyman babble.
Can Knapp take over catching duties? Seems to be underrated.
Knapp looked good in the backup role this year but his bat was exposed once JT went down and he got most of the playing time. Good backup but I don’t think he can hold down the starting position full time.
i mean we’re comparing a small sample (2020 backup Knapp) to an even smaller one. (2020 starter Knapp) What we all saw overall was very good and I wouldn’t be shocked if Dillon really unlocked something in him hearkening back to his Paul Owens year. I would make a move simply because the lack of a precedent for last year’s production and more because you need at least two C anyway. (Marchan is a name to watch going forward, but I wouldn’t keep him in the Majors yet. He’s still very inexperienced.)
Knapp is a great backup catcher. His bat surprised this year, but it was a small sampling. In general, he’s a subpar hitter. Sadly if they lose JT (which is very likely) he will be their starter. I don’t see them signing McCann. They’ll role with a Knapp/Marchan combo, which will not too shabby, will be devastating for Phillies fans (and players) to accept.
He is absolutely not underrated and you do not want him as your teams starting catcher. This is a guy that in 70 games in 2019 hit 8 rbis
I’d like to see an article like this about the Angel’s GM search.
As I said before, there is serious validation for picking out of the Yankees organization over any other. Rays and Oakland are great GM groups, but I feel like they are more a collective GM unit and I wouldn’t feel as good about one of those guys on their own. Whoever pulls the trigger on their waiver moves/minor trades is the real genius in the sport as a whole. Gio, Tauchman, Voit – they tend to get value for cheap.
He dry was horrible in Chicago why would they recycle him? Just get rid of Mcfail already.
If the Phil’s sign Hendry as GM; His 1st move will be to sign Milton Bradley.
Now that’s scary. Very scary.
Milton Bradley and then Alfonso Soriano each for at least 3 years. Soriano 6 years plus 3 option years. Don’t forget Jaques Jones. Although he had horrible baggage he immediately traded Josh Hamilton.
I’ll never know why Hendry thought a guy who was on 9 teams in 11 years was worth $30mil
I hope they don’t touch Oppenheimer or Naehring
Weird that they would interview Hendry and not Minaya or Stewart. If you’re out to set your team back decades, that’s the kind of decision you have to get exactly right.
fantastic!
Jim hendry is too nice to be a gm
The fact that Middleton is negotiating in the press regarding JT, is somewhat insulting to the catcher. Both parties agreed to keep things on the down low, for the moment. Didn’t Middleton get that memo? Maybe he thinks Bryce’s JT campaign violates the spirit of the understanding? Imagine if day 1 of signing opportunity JT signs with the Dodgers or Cardinals? It is very possible. What a PR nightmare for the Phils. And they would deserve it. Remember the illusory luxury tax amounts to pennies on the dollar in the whole scheme of things. Recall when Steve Carlton was traded to the Phillies for Rick Wise over $6500. This is almost as bad. Middleton’s nonsense about his favoring the JT Marlins trade only if an extension could be had, is utter horsecrap. The guy is basically cheap and proof of this is the failure to sign another frontline pitcher and add a bullpen piece in the Spring. Who would want to come to Philly under these conditions. Philly is no LA, San Diego or NY.It IS is mediocrity land.
Couldn’t you say that about most destinations? Look at the entire NL central for example. Let’s be real here, JT is going where the money is. Look at his career. It’s what he’s always done. Can’t really blame him. Mediocrity land or not, whomever shelves out the crazy contract will land Realmuto.
Jt actually asked to be traded when Miami was starting their rebuild,so he wants to be somewhere he’ll have a chance to win.And that just might work against the Phillies,since they’re rebuild hasn’t worked out all that good.Even with expanded playoffs,and a bunch of free agent signings(and the trade for Jt),they still couldn’t sneek in.
Lee cohn. Every year we hear the Dodgers and Yankees will sign all the big free agents and clean out their farm system in trades for top players and most of time they don’t.
The Phillies problem is their idiot owner. It’s baffling how he’s gotten this far with no idea how to play hardball.
“Bryce Harper will not play for less than $300MIL!”
The proper response: “I hope he enjoys retirement”.
Middleton’s response:(after grabbing checkbook) “How many zeroes are in that? Oh here, you fill it out.”
youre sounding like CHC’s ownership there.
Please approve a high priced salary and lure John Mozeliak away from the Cardinals.
Philadelphia sports franchises are all clout chasers. Name recognition and popularity trumps a good hire/signing/trade every time, so my guess is they’ll wait for Theo Epstein to end his misery with the Cubs. Too bad for Theo that there’s not much to work with in Philly. They don’t have the patience for a rebuild, and they lack the depth of talent to contend.
You do nothing but bash Theo on all the Cub’s articles. Get a grip.
Bashing? Really…? Theo said he’s done after this year, read the tea leaves. The Cubs gave declined rapidly since 2016, and Theo has largely been handcuffed by the Ricketts family. He wants out.
How does Jim Hendry have a job? He was a horrible GK for the cubs. Andy McFail was no better.
Andy McPhail was nothing but a yes-man to the Tribune company. Hendry being promoted by him should not be taken as complimentary. Hendry had 1 good year in ‘03 with his midseason trading, and drafted Baez. Beyond that, he did nothing but hire Baker , and blindly attempt to increase the value of the franchise per his marching orders so that the Tribune company could wring the last penny of value out of their 3 decade ownership.