PHILADELPHIA, PA – JUNE 25: Bench coach Rob Thomson #59 of the Philadelphia Phillies walks to the dugout against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on June 25, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
If the Philadelphia Phillies fire Joe Girardi, these would be the top three people they should hire.
Joe Girardi better have a comfortable pair of shoes on. If the Philadelphia Phillies manager sits down, he’s going to feel a burn.
The hot seat is getting hotter for Girardi. Last Friday, his potent offense was no-hit by the rival New York Mets. Less than a week later, they lost in a completely different way to the same team. The Phillies blew a 7-1 lead to the Mets at home on Thursday night in a complete collapse by the bullpen in the ninth inning.
The hot seat is scorching for Girardi whose tenure in Philadelphia has been a major disappointment. Fans are calling for him to be fired—and it’s understandable. If he does get axed right now, who should replace him?
Phillies: Rob Thomson is the obvious replacement for Joe Girardi
Firing Joe Girardi will not fix the Phillies. However, it can help spark something within the team.
This organization has struggled in similar ways under two different skippers now. It’s hard to believe Gabe Kapler’s brand of Phillies baseball went similarly to the Girardi era. The team is stuck at around .500 and lacks the leadership needed to compete.
Because it’s early in 2022, there aren’t too many notable free agent managers available. Given this, the most obvious choice is to promote bench coach Rob Thomson.
Thomson has a lot of experience coaching in the big leagues. He first became the first base coach for the New York Yankees back in 2006 under Joe Torre. Girardi kept him around and promoted him to the bench coach position.
The two reunited with the Phillies, oddly enough, with Girardi coming to the club where Thomson already held the bench coach position. Thomson has been with the organization since 2018. Nobody knows their weaknesses better.
It’s the simple solution to make midseason and still have a shot at the playoffs. The Phillies have a decent roster. While Thomson won’t be able to make up for their many flaws, he at least already has a relationship with the players. Maybe, as manager, his voice can be a little louder and we see different results.