NOVEMBER 15: The Phillies are indeed hoping to finalize a deal with Cotham in the next week, hears Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link).
NOVEMBER 14: Reds’ assistant pitching coach and director of pitching Caleb Cotham is the leading candidate to take over as the next pitching coach of the Philadelphia Phillies, per Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. Salisbury names Cotham as the “clear frontrunner.”
Cotham, 33, pitched for two seasons at the major-league level, making his debut for manager Joe Girardi and the New York Yankees in 2015. Girardi likely has significant sway in this hiring decision as the manager of the Phillies, especially since they continue to search for a new head of baseball ops. The Phillies, however, aren’t the only team that Cotham has spoken with this offseason.
Speculatively speaking, Cotham’s experience with Driveline Baseball could be a selling point for data-interested hurlers, as well as the organization on the whole. One such hurler happens to be the top starting pitcher on the free agent market. It’s easy to connect the dots between a potential Cotham hire and NL Cy Young Trevor Bauer – just as we do between Cotham and Girardi – but that’s two steps down the line. If a connection is all it takes to sign Bauer, after all, the Reds would still be in pole position. The Phillies have, however, shown a willingness to spend for starting pitching on the open market in recent years with the additions of Jake Arrieta and Zack Wheeler. Still, if Cotham does indeed turn out to be their hire, it will be on his own merit.
I’m cool with it. Hope he sticks around. Stability is what they need more than anything else.
I hear you….pitching coach for the Phillies is like being the drummer for Spinal Tap
I laughed WAY too hard at that!!!
Agreed. This would (hopefully) end up being a fantastic hire for the Phillies.
He would certainly be missed here in the ‘Nati
Pitching coach hires have all seemingly been very young and presumably part of the new wave of data-driven coaches and management. Lots of the old-school coaches getting phased out. Not saying if this is good or bad because I don’t have a solid opinion one way or the other, just an observation.
There should be a balance. With all the data, they still have to throw the ball, take care of there bodies, keep their emotions even, etc. Both old school and new school have great value.
The Reds have shown a very nice improvement the past 2 years, so maybe…
hopefully a better coach then player
“Those that can’t do, teach.”
that’s what im hoping is the case
Those who can’t are employed by the Phillies.
Terrible pitcher.
Maybe the Phillies could trade him for Aroldis Chapman. Been done before.
Obviously it was a terrible trade for the Reds. They decided to trade Chapman for his character issues, and it cost them severely in terms of talent. Chapman was traded for: a 1st-round pick who could eventually become a good DH, a 2nd-round pick who could become a decent utility player, a pitcher with good upside, and Cotham, who was known more for his intangibles than abilities. It’s interesting to see that Cotham was the most valuable person the Reds got out of that trade.
If Klentak was still GM and thank everyone in the organization who allowed him to resign, I believe with the trend of organizations really thinking outside the box so to speak on PC hires… He would have hired the PC from Central Bucks West or any other high school around the area.
I wish to the powers to be that the Phillies had hired Ng..The Guppies made a great hire in my opinion….
Agreed! Think that was a huged missed opportunity.
I like the move. But honestly, anyone that isn’t internal is an improvement.
The problem with the coaching staff has been the constant change. Three years of completely different coaches. You can’t tell me that doesn’t have a negative effect. These players need stability.
well i mean we had the potential for a consistent pitching coach but…
Yup. We can’t have nice things.
As a Reds fan, I’d rather see him stay, but I don’t blame him for going a promotion.