The Chicago Cubs have decided on their next manager, and as of Thursday morning, the Philadelphia Phillies have done the same.
Jim Salisbury of NBC Philly reports that the Phillies will announce the hire of former New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi as early as Thursday.
Phillies are hiring Joe Girardi, source confirms. Announcement could come today
— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyNBCS) October 24, 2019
Girardi was long considered a front-runner for the Phillies job, but had also draw mild-to-moderate interest from both the aforementioned Cubs, as well as the New York Mets. He was also tasked with beating out veteran baseball minds, Buck Showalter and Dusty Baker, for the job in Philly.
The 2006 NL Manager of the Year with the then-Florida Marlins, Girardi has a wealth of baseball knowledge and experience. Before bursting onto the scene as a top manager with the Marlins and later winning a World Series with the Yankees, Girardi spent 15 seasons as an MLB catcher, including seven years with Cubs over two different stints and four years with the Bronx Bombers.
Although the Phillies finished the 2019 season with a .500 record, they have an abundance of cash to spend in free agency and expectations are high entering 2020.
