2020 New Pitching Coach & Hitting Coach News and Rumors

Philsmania 2019-10-25 16:23:24 UTC #1

We have our new manager in Joe Girardi. Now, we need to fill the two most important coaching positions of hitting coach and pitching coach. Hence, I thought this deserved its own thread. Here are the most widely-mentioned rumors.

Hitting Coach:
Jim Thome: Supposedly wants to coach but may not want to do so just yet as his kids are still young and he may want to stay in the White Sox front office until now.

Matt Stairs: Got some good press when he was the Phillies hitting coach under Mackanin but lasted only a year in San Diego.

Kevin Long: Girardi's hitting coach with the Yankees for a time would but need to be hired away from the Nationals.

Jim Presley and Alan Crockell: both worked for Girardin Miami and New York.

Pitching Coach:
Dave Eiland: Girardi's pitching coach with the Yankees from 2008-10, then with the Royals from for several years including their good years from 2013-15 and then with the Mets until he got fired midseason in 2019. Obviously had success with the Royals but not the Mets.

Mickey Callaway: recently deposed Mets manager was a good pitching coach in Cleveland. Would he be willing to be a pitching coach again or will he seek a studio gig while he seeks another manager position? His career arc is strikingly similar to Kapler's--an outside the box hire to begin with, a controversial and in the end unsuccessful tenure and, heck, a nearly identical two-season record (161-163 for Kapler, 163-161 for Callaway). Kapler wants to manage again and supposedly so does Callaway.

Larry Rothschild: Phillies would need to hire him away from the Yankees.

Mike Harkey: Yankees bullpen coach who was also a part of Girardi's Yankee staff.

flyers19rw 2019-10-25 20:25:35 UTC #2

For his PC, Girardi would probably go with someone who he had confidence in and has worked with in the past. Eiland makes sense as a possibility and he's available.
There is the outside chance that Boone/the Yankees want to go in a different direction and would allow Rothschild to be hired here.
Harkey also looks like a distinct possibility. He put together the BP for Girardi which we know was extremely effective. I think that moving from the BP coach to the PC would be a step up so perhaps the Yankees wouldn't block that move if Harkey were to be offered the job here.
Dave Righetti might also be a name to watch. He too is available and has stated that he misses the job.
Rob Thomson is already here and might be Girard's bench coach.
Some might be critical of hiring one of the former Yankees and call the Phillies, the "Yankees South". So what? Girardi's Yankees had their successes. Now if only the Phillies could be as successful as the Yanks in identifying and signing prospects like they have done. Especially the ones in LA.

LoneStarPhan 2019-10-26 20:58:39 UTC #3

Looks like Callaway is getting the pitching coach job with the Angels. I really didn't think he was a serious option for the Phillies although I think he is a good PC. I expect somebody with past Girardi connections will get the Phillies' job.

bigegypt0417 2019-10-28 16:12:37 UTC #4

Rothchild is being let go by the Yankees.

phillychuck 2019-10-28 17:27:57 UTC #5

I'd think that is at least somewhat of a red flag in terms of hiring him. You've got to respect it when the Yankees make decisions. Is it just that the Yankees needed a new voice, or is Rothchild behind the times in terms of where the game is now as opposed to 10 years ago?

bigegypt0417 2019-10-28 18:56:10 UTC #6

I think their postseason failure needed a fall guy. He had been there a very long time so it could also just be a need for a new voice...he is described as a mixture of new school and old school.

I think i'd rather see the phillies go in a different direction.

flyers19rw 2019-10-28 19:46:14 UTC #7

Rothschild did a decent job with the Yankees. From this article- https://nypost.com/2019/10/28/yankees-parting-ways-with-pitching-coach-larry-rothschild/ -it looks like the Yankees are doing some more changes with their organization's pitching development. Boone probably wanted his guy and LR was Girard's. It also may be that Rothschild let Cashman know that he wants to work with Girardi; especially if he wanted an extension to stay beyond this season.
If Rothschild landed here it wouldn't be a bad thing. If Mike Harkey came along with him, even better. LR has done a fine job bringing along some young arms with the Yankees and no one can complain about the BP that he and Harkey have put together.

zambonir 2019-10-28 20:09:05 UTC #8

If Rothchild is past his prime and the Yankees know it, didn't they also know it about Girardi? The goal is obviously to hire a veteran pitching coach with people skills. If they don't hire a Yankees "reject" it could just as easily be a Mets or Pirates reject. Even Kranitz was nothing special when they got him.

I don't think anyone truly believed Rothchild was a problem for the Yankees this year. Cashman didn't sign the right starting pitchers and then they lost German.

bigegypt0417 2019-10-28 21:29:49 UTC #9

What do you mean when you say that Girardi is past his prime?

zambonir 2019-10-28 22:22:05 UTC #10

I was responding to Phillychuck, so I basically agree with you. Also it says "If."

LoneStarPhan 2019-10-28 23:00:16 UTC #11

I guess Rothchild would be the extreme opposite of Chris Young.

I will have to respect the choice the Phillies make in accordance with the wishes of the new manager. Regardless of who is hired, I am sure the analytics folks will continue to provide a ton of information.

Lawman 2019-10-29 14:50:26 UTC #12

Former Reds' manager, Bryan Price, has had his name come up as a possible candidate for Phillies PC.

Squire 2019-10-30 17:54:13 UTC #13

Apparently Bryan Price is now considered the "frontrunner" for the Pitching Coach job.

Squire 2019-10-31 14:20:15 UTC #14

Per Gelb Tweet. The Phillies have hired Bryan Price as pitching coach

Philsmania 2019-10-31 14:21:35 UTC #15

Price was the pitching coach on Girardi's Team USA staff.

Phil Plantier, Girardi's hitting coach on that team, is mentioned as a possibility for hitting coach.

el-pietro 2019-10-31 14:36:25 UTC #16

Its impossible to know how good a job he will do until we start to see results and even then the quality of players, as well as instruction from above are factors to consider.

He seems to have a good track record, though my concern is how much the Reds pitching improved after he left as manager at the end of 2018.

zambonir 2019-10-31 17:14:42 UTC #17

Well maybe he had a bad pitching coach!

fish 2019-11-01 01:21:49 UTC #18

Bobby Dickerson left for the Padres- another opening for Girardi.

Philsmania 2019-11-01 01:26:42 UTC #19

He'll be the bench coach, a promotion of sorts. He and Machado were close in Baltimore. At the same time, a small part of me wonders if this is a falling domino from Showalter not getting the job. Putting that aside, Dickerson helped with the improved defense this year so I am a little sorry to see him go.

zambonir 2019-11-01 01:55:30 UTC #20

It's a pretty significant promotion, while I'm sure he was paid better than some of the assistants, "infield coach" still lower than 1B and 3B (as well as bench, pitching and hitting) in the pecking order. With Machado and the young manager it makes sense. Perhaps Thomson would have left and opened the spot for him had Buck gotten the job but either way, probably not a bad thing if Girardi get to pick an extra guy (and this might not be the last move either).