It's possible that Brian Kaplan, rather than Cotham, is the guy the Phillies would least want to lose/might need to keep with a raise or even bigger title.
Brian Kaplan is in his third year as the club’s assistant pitching coach. He doubles as the director of pitching development, a role that has allowed him to incorporate lessons from years of training elite pitchers at a private facility in Florida. Everything, in Kaplan’s mind, is tied to a pitcher’s body. It is all connected.
This is why Kaplan led a concerted effort to have Cristopher Sánchez, who is authoring a breakout season, add more strength. (He’s now 26 pounds heavier than he was two winters ago.) It is why, when Kaplan saw Mercado in spring training, he lobbied Phillies officials to make him a starting pitcher.