Here’s the latest from the City of Brotherly Love…
- The Phillies were one of multiple teams who asked the Indians for permission to interview assistant GM Mike Chernoff, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi report (Twitter links). Chernoff is staying in Cleveland, however, and sources tell Rosenthal/Morosi that he could become the Tribe’s next GM. Current general manager Chris Antonetti would be promoted to a president of baseball operations role.
- It’s likely the next Phillies GM will have some sort of sabermetric background, so Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News looks at some of the names who have thus far been rumored in connection to the job. Lawrence also includes the name of Kim Ng, who has yet to be mentioned as a possible candidate, though Andy MacPhail recently used a “he or she” modifier when referring to the new GM. As Lawrence notes, it could’ve been simple political correctness on MacPhail’s part.
- Odubel Herrera’s breakout season is profiled by Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer, chronicling the outfielder’s rise from fairly obscure Rule 5 Draft pick to the Phillies’ best player (as judged by both fWAR and bWAR) in 2015. Herrera has a .287/.333/.407 slash line through 516 PA and has also provided excellent center field defense. Jorge Velandia, the former MLB infielder and now a member of the Phillies’ player personnel department, is credited with pushing the club to draft Herrera after managing him in the Venezuelan Winter League.
