Pete Mackanin Out as Phillies Manager

The Phillies are moving Pete Mackanin to a front office role.

Phillies manager Pete Mackanin won’t return in the same capacity next season, the team announced Friday. Mackanin will instead begin working as a special assistant to the general manager.

Mackanin took over as manager in June of 2015, after Ryne Sandberg was fired, and compiled a 172–237 record over the next two-and-a-half years. He was previously a third base coach and bench coach for the team. In May, the Phillies signed the 66-year-old to an extension through the end of the 2018 season. 

“Pete is the manager,” Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said at the time. “There’s no time frame on that. This is not a temporary thing. Pete is the manager. And I have every hope and every confidence that as we turn this around and the wins start coming, he’s going to be right here.”

The Phillies, a 64–95, have the third-worst record in the majors this season, slightly ahead of the Giants and Tigers. 

There will be at least two open managerial jobs in baseball this winter—the Tigers announced last week that Brad Ausmus’s contract won’t be renewed. Mets manager Terry Collins is also not expected to return to the team. Bruce Bochy of the MLB-worst Giants is under contract for two more seasons but there has been speculation that he could be dismissed.