Gabe Kapler was fired by the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday after just two seasons with the team, and some think he should have been given a better shot after compiling a .500 record over that span. However, it seems like there is a good chance the 44-year-old will not be unemployed for long.
Several teams are looking for new managers this offseason, and Kapler is hoping to score one of those jobs. The San Francisco Giants may make the most sense, as Kapler has a strong relationship with president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.
Gabe Kapler immediately becomes a strong candidate for the #SFGiants managerial opening. He and Farhan Zaidi had a strong relationship with the #Dodgers together.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 10, 2019
Gabe Kapler would like to manage in 2020. There’s 8 openings but a ton of competition. One possibility might be #SFGiants. Farhan Zaidi gave GK big recommendation for Philly. Tho, as said here, Mark Kotsay looks like a strong candidate there.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 10, 2019
While the Phillies fell short of expectations by missing the playoffs this season after spending a ton of money, Kapler’s time with the team was far from a disaster. He had some miscommunications with players and made his fair share of mistakes, but ultimately guys like Bryce Harper did not earn their paychecks. Philly also dealt with some key injuries early on, most notably when star outfielder Andrew McCutchen tore his ACL in June and was ruled out for the remainder of the year.
Even Kapler’s own boss gave him a huge vote of confidence less than four months ago, so it would not be a surprise to see him get another shot as a manager immediately.
