Though Dusty Baker was seemingly the last of three candidates to receive his first interview for the Philadelphia Phillies managerial vacancy, it appears he was the first one to speak with the organization’s brass for a second time.
According to MLB.com‘s Todd Zolecki, Baker, a three-time National League manager of the year, interviewed for a second time with the Phillies Thursday. This was the second time in as many days that the 70-year-old interviewed with the Phillies, as Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that the first interview between the two sides took place Wednesday.
Buck Showalter – who has managed the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles previously – will have his second interview Friday, per Zolecki.
Finally, Joe Girardi, who has managed 11 major league seasons with the Miami Marlins and New York Yankees, will be the last candidate to receive his second interview, Zolecki noted.
Showalter and Girardi became the first candidates to interview for the Phillies job, with both reportedly being interviewed on Monday. Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Thursday that Showalter and Girardi “are considered the favorites.”
Zolecki added that the Phillies could make a determination on their next manager soon after Girardi’s interview Monday. Girardi, who turned 55 this week, said that he has interviewed with three teams and believes he will manage in 2020. If the Phillies ultimately want to hire Girardi, they’ll likely have to compete with at least one team for his services, and it seems increasingly possible that one team will be the division-rival New York Mets.
Why isn’t Girardi’s second interview until Monday? After a rainout Wednesday, the Yankees and Houston Astros could play four consecutive days (though Sunday) if the ALCS goes to seven games. Girardi works for a few media outlets, so it’s possible that Monday is the next time he was available to interview for any other jobs. That’s not confirmed, though, but you would think the Phillies would push to speak to him a second time before any other team could do so and potentially offer him their managerial job.
MORE FROM PHILLIES NATION
- 10 Potential Candidates To Be The Next Phillies Manager
- John Middleton Backs Matt Klentak, But Emerges As Dominant Figure In Phillies Brass
- Bryce Harper’s Top 5 Home Runs of 2019
- Matt Klentak Discusses Analytics, ‘Realities Of Our Market’
- Andrew McCutchen: ‘We’ll Be Better In 2020, Believe It’
- ESPN’s Keith Law: Spencer Howard Is A No. 2 Starter
- 3 Numbers To Remember: The Story Of Gabe Kapler’s Tenure
- Alex Cora: Aaron Nola Is The Best Pitcher We’ve Faced The Last Two Seasons
- Matt Klentak Says Scott Kingery’s Versatility Makes Him ‘Incredibly Valuable’
- What Would A Long-Term Deal Look Like For J.T. Realmuto?
Latest Comments