The Phillies fired hitting coach Joe Dillon and infield coach Juan Castro this afternoon. Assistant hitting coach Pedro Guerrero wasn’t let go but was given permission to look for other jobs, as the Phils intend to let their next hitting coach hire his own assistant. The rest of Philadelphia’s coaching staff will return in 2021, according to manager Joe Girardi.
“I think they [Dillon and Castro] worked extremely hard, but we just felt at this time it was time to make some changes,” Girardi told The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber and other reporters. “We always talk about, at this level, it’s a production-based business. It’s difficult.”
Dillon was in his second season as hitting coach, and across the board, the Phillies’ offensive numbers declined. After hitting a collective .257/.342/.439 (108 wRC+) in 2020, Philadelphia batters took a .240/.318/.408 slash line (93 wRC+) into today’s season finale. Even with Bryce Harper enjoying an all-world season, the Phillies weren’t much beyond middle-of-the-pack in most major offensive categories.
A lack of consistent hitting was far from the only issue that plagued the Phillies this year, as poor defense may have been an even bigger problem for the team. This cost Castro his job, though as Lauber noted, it was perhaps asking a bit much of Castro to improve an infield full of subpar defenders. Castro (a former MLB infielder who spent parts of eight seasons each with the Reds and Dodgers) is also in his second year on Philadelphia’s coaching staff.
sadosfan
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!!! (Slams door on them in mid sentence)
Francys01
Well, as a hitting coach Joe Dillon wasn’t that bad. The team had games that they scored a lot of runs, but other times they didn’t scored many. The issue with the Phillies has been that their rebuild did not work and their farm system is not very good. Let me point out too, that in the second half of the season their schedule was very easy and they were able to win the division or get a wild card spot. The mistake began during off-season when they kept Vince Velazquez as a starting pitcher, signed Matt Moore and Chase Anderson. Hopefully, the Phillies hire a good hitting coach during the offseason.
VonPurpleHayes
Their offense was pretty horrific outside of the few stars. People like to point to the pitching, but the offensive struggles were far worse IMO.
Garett
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
spider 2
Maybe hire a hitting coach that could actually hit? John Kruk comes to mind, he doesn’t believe in all that analytical BS. You can either hit or you can’t
VonPurpleHayes
Nothing hits on the way out. Certainly not the Phillies offense.
ChiSox_Fan
Cubs should be cleaning house too!!
FredMcGriff for the HOF
Girardi next to go?
DarkSide830
DD said he was coming back
David Kupsick
As what?
Joe says...
Would be nice if a Yankees reunion is in order.
Pax vobiscum
The game has passed Joe by. Not that he was solely responsible for their performance, but he really didn’t win any games for them either.
DonB34
Having Neris remain the closer after his terrible 2020 and continued horrid start in 2021 didn’t help. Turn some of those blown saves in April and May into wins, and it’s a better picture down the stretch I think his handling of the bullpen in general (especially the 9th inning) was really bad. Letting Tony Watson opt out because he wanted both Velasquez and David Hale as long men in the bullpen was the first mistake way back in spring training. Followed by not making Archie Bradley the closer.
fisher40
He can’t win games! He’s the manager!! Lol It’s his job to field a winning team. They’ll be better next year. Nola will bounce back their pitching will be better
ctyank7
Whether it’s Joe’s fault or not, Girardi did not get the most out of his players.
MasterShake
Let the beatings begin!
marshmallowman
dancing is forbidden
Curly Was The Smart Stooge
Good point, it’s time to fire the coaches because the players didn’t play up to their expectations
DarkSide830
darn certain they didnt elevate anyone’s production this year…
Kevin28786
Did they fire them in the middle of the game?
Mr_KLC
I guess they to save on baggage fees on the team charter.
Mr_KLC
I guess they wanted to save on baggage fees on the team charter.
Inside Out
Should be Girardi and Thompson being fired. Both are clueless and have the strategic sense of a billy goat. But Girardi suck a butt kisser Dombrowski afraid to fire him.
costergaard2
Girardi won MoY on a Marlins team that should have lost 100 games but almost made the playoffs. He also never had a losing season on the Yankees, I’m looking at the 13-16 years when the whole team was old and overpaid when all those contracts hamstrung them, and yet they were still competitive.
A lot of players in this day and age want Olaf for manager, because he likes warm hugs = (
whosehighpitch
Maybe the next hitting coach can keep Hoskins from going on 0-20, 0-30 slides
DarkSide830
Hoskins’s streakiness is far from the problem.
VonPurpleHayes
Hoskins was pretty solid with the bat this year. In fact, you can’t point to his injury as the beginning of the Phillies severe offensive woes. People will still blame him though.
spider 2
Hoskins wasn’t the issue
ShootyBabbit
I though Pedro Guerrero was either in jail or dead
cpdpoet
Not THAT Pedro Guerrero, but hey why not, he’s gotta be in his late 60’s by now….
Deleted User
They have IDENTIFIED the PROBLEM
cpdpoet
But seriously both positions were saddled with very poor offerings…All the league knows Hoskins is below league average, Segura aged out of ss, Gregorious is in his decline phase @31 and Bohm did not progress, maybe even played himself out of 3rd. How was Castro supposed to help the first three at all?
And looking at the hitters, how many veteran .220 hitters can they throw out there each day..And Herrera, urghh, is what he is…..
So are they laying Bohm’s overall regression on their laps or was it soph slump…?
My hope is Dombrowski has his hands in this and has better potentials locked up….
VonPurpleHayes
Hoskins offensive numbers are significantly higher than league average. His defense is certainly subpar. But sometimes I don’t understand where people’s opinions come from. Gregarious was an absolute disaster this year, and apparently the Phillies tried to get Semien before settling for Didi. It would’ve been a much different team with Semien for sure.
Phillyphanak
Thank you, Joe G, for saddling the team with Didi.
DonB34
I think I read they were in on Andrelton Simmons also in free agency, but lost out to the Twins. Giving Didi that big contract really hurt. He was bad, then hurt, then bad, then hurt, then bad. The guy forgot how to hit, field, and throw. Split that $15 Million they gave Didi between a REAL 4th starting pitcher and the ridiculous $2 Million that Mark Melancon ended up getting, then you have a better starting staff and a legit 9th inning closer. We fans might have been mad seeing Ronald Torreyes as the opening day shortstop, but if he had done anywhere near what he did for this team all year it would have been a completely different season.
Audrey
Ronald Torreyes wouldn’t have made that much of a difference over Didi, what this team needed/needs is player like Marcus Semien as was already mentioned.
Metsin777
I hope they fire Girardi so the Mets can get him
Phillyphanak
You can have him.
VonPurpleHayes
Girardi is not the problem, but he’s certainly not the solution either.
LordD99
If you want a former Yankee manager, go for Showalter.
Joe says...
Hopefully Boone will be available as a former Yankees manager.
Dannyocean
Too many starters batted below .250 this year. Can’t put the ball in play, you can’t win.
money
Girardi stuck with basically the same lineup everyday at the end of the season even though they didn’t hit . It was almost like he never managed in the major leagues before .
The best hitting coach in the world couldn’t help Knapp ,Didi ,or Matt Joyce. The only way to improve is to get them off the team.
David Kupsick
Wheeler was out hitting Joyce.
applesauce435
Didi,Didi,Didi…mostly hitting fifth. Need more be said. Yes! He needs to GO!!!
mazerrackham
I’d love to see a Charlie Lau disciple take over hitting. A hit it where it’s pitched/ opposite field approach to raise BA, OBP, RD and beat these ridiculous shifts that are ruining the game.
SportsFan0000
Phillies need to make some trades, free agent signings and minor league promotions.
The current Phillies Roster won’t cut it in 2022!
Phillies need a bona fide CLOSER! + AT LEAST 2 RELIABLE SET UP MEN.
Phillies need better Defense “up the middle” SS, CF, 3B
Trade for A’s Matt Olson and Matt Chapman 1B. 3B (arbitration eligible and
guys A’s will want to move or cut loose).
Giver them 3B Alec Bohm., 1B Rys Hoskins, OF Mickey Moniak etc…
Sign or trade for a SS and/or CF who is great on D and can hit.
(Brandon Belt could be an option or a younger player on a 1-3 year deal that does not break the bank.
Sign or trade for another Starter or 2
Didi and Jean Segura can both be traded
Bryson Stott should be your starting SS or 2B.
Should be 1 or 2 blockbuster trades, a few FA signings, a few minor league promotions
a few “pillow contracts”, maybe an international signing or two.
The present roster requires a major “shakeup”…
David Kupsick
No one wants Didi nor Hoskins
This team needs.
Kris Bryant
Cedric Mullins
(2) starters.
They began 2021 with SEVEN starting pitchers.
Bob333
Scapegoats being fired the hitting coach can’t hit for people that hit when they want too,The infield coach can’t polish a bunch of terds.Girardi can’t handling a pitching staff let alone a bad pitching staff.BLOW UP THIS TEAM NOW.
FloridaMan1988
Castro also spent time with the Phillies
htbnm57
But pitching and bullpen coaches remains despite epically bad record of blown saves. The Phillies aren’t good at drafting or developing talent. You can only do so much through free agency. This team won’t be in the playoffs for a while.
SportsFan0000
Phillies have a chance to make playoffs in ’22.
Dombrowski needs to shake up the roster.
Fix the bullpen with the record blown saves.
Get 1 or 2 more starters who can pitch into the 7th inning without giving away the store (saves your bullpen from total exhaustion and breakdowns).
Shore up the Defense.
Get a few more guys who are clutch hitters.
Dombrowski has done it in Montreal, in Miami, in Detroit, in Boston.
He has the track record to make it happen in Phillie.
htbnm57
They came in 2nd even when Atlanta lost there best player for half a year when Harper, Suarez and Wheeler had years they may not be able to duplicate. The depth is just not there.
SportsFan0000
Atlanta did not have the depth either. they traded for like 5 outfielders, more pitching etc…
htbnm57
And yet they are still better than the Phillies
SportsFan0000
Not by much, Phillies just fix their bullpen where they had 37 or something like that blown saves and the Phils are right there for the Division title.
Bob333
SportsFanoooo-Are you kidding this team needs 2 starters as we have seen the best of Nola and eflin is toast.Defense sucks and Hoskins had a career year and we have seen this before from him.They need a real 3B and CF and LF and of course alot in the pen.This team is better off blowing it up and moving on.