The Philadelphia Phillies have hired Joe Girardi as their 55th manager in franchise history, as first reported by MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki.
The parameters of Girardi’s contract have not been disclosed as of yet.
In a search conducted predominantly by owner John Middleton, the Phillies have picked up one of the most experienced candidates on the managerial market. The 55-year-old Girardi has managed for 11 seasons in the majors. Ten of them came with the New York Yankees, which included six postseason appearances and a World Series championship in 2009.
During his decade with the Yankees, Girardi was 200 games over .500 with a record of 910-710. He also won the National League Manager of the Year Award during his lone season with the Marlins in 2006.
He fits the bill of exactly what Middleton was looking for — and he pulled off the move in an efficient manner.
The hiring of Girardi took all of 15 days after Gabe Kapler was dismissed after two disappointing seasons in which the Phillies failed to live up to high expectations created after the acquisitions of Bryce Harper, JT Realmuto, and Jean Segura.
From the moment Kapler was shown the door, the Phillies were immediately linked with experienced candidates that could help lead a team with postseason hopes. That included Girardi, Dusty Baker, and Buck Showalter.
Girardi quickly became the favorite considering he was the only one of those three to have won a World Series. Showalter and Baker have managed for a combined 42 seasons and have still yet to win a ring as a manager.
There was plenty of competition for the new Phillies skipper, however. The Cubs and NL East-rival Mets were heavily linked with Girardi over the past few weeks after they parted ways with Joe Maddon and Mickey Callaway, respectively.
The Cubs decided to go with former catcher and 2016 World Series winner, David Ross, making the announcement on Wednesday while the Mets are still in the throes of a managerial search that has taken its fair share of twists and turns.
Girardi was initially believed to be the favorite to make his way to Queens, but the Mets’ search has been muddled by numerous names ranging from Carlos Beltran to Luis Rojas, to Eduardo Perez, among others. He met with the Mets for a second time on Tuesday, one day after his second meeting with the Phillies.
Taking over the home dugout in Citizens Bank Park, Girardi will be bringing an intensity to the Phillies that will only endear himself to the fan base starving for a playoff appearance. It’s been eight years since Philadelphia has seen playoff baseball.
With that intensity, Girardi is set in his ways as he’s had clashes with upper management before — most notably during his days with the Marlins. Regardless, this is a manager that will take little advice from the general manager when filling out a lineup card but will fight tooth and nail for his players.
For an organization that looks as though it’s losing trust in its GM, Matt Klentak, it looks like Middleton found his perfect match.
