Philadelphia Phillies manager Gabe Kapler doesn’t mind Jake Arrieta expressing his opinion about the team’s use of defensive shifts.
Over the weekend, Arrieta was very critical of the Phillies’ defensive shifts during their series sweep at the hands of the San Francisco Giants. While that’s not what you want to hear from a star veteran on a team, the manager does not have a problem with it.
On Monday, Kapler supported Arrieta (and other clubhouse leaders) discussing ways to improve the performance of the team.
I asked #Phillies manager Gabe Kapler today if Jake Arrieta’s comments Sunday were indicative of discontent in the clubhouse, and if he plans to reevaluate his shifting practices. This is what Kapler told me. @MLB @MLBNetwork pic.twitter.com/wWKUkn3Cdh
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) June 5, 2018
Kapler is in his first season as a MLB manager. Philadelphia has surprised some in getting off to a 31-26 start, especially after Kapler’s rocky start. While they have had some early season success, there is obviously still room for improvement and Kapler is embracing ways to achieve that. If it comes from a veteran member of the team, that seems to be just fine with him.
