USATSI_17982928 — Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Could Joe Maddon Be The Philadelphia Phillies Next Manager?

After getting fired by the Los Angeles Angels, could the Pennsylvania native take the reins of the Philadelphia Phillies?

Author:
Declan Harris
Jun 8, 2022 6:30 PM EDT

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Philadelphia Phillies

On Monday, the Los Angeles Angels relieved Joe Maddon of his duties following a 12-game losing streak. 2022 was only Maddon's third season coaching the Halos after signing a three-year deal in 2019.

This most recent losing streak is the longest of Maddon's career, beating out the streak of 11 consecutive losses that Maddon went through during his second season with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2007.

Although the losing streak has damaged Maddon's stock, could Philadelphia approach Maddon about filling the seat following Joe Girardi's sacking?

This wouldn't be the first time that Maddon's name has been tied to the City of Brotherly Love.

Towards the end of the 2019 season, the general consensus in the Philadelphia sports scene was that Gabe Kapler would be let go following a second-straight season of .500 baseball.

Several names were flown around with the likes of Dusty Baker, Buck Showalter, and Girardi being seen as heavy favorites. Yet, Maddon's name only ever appeared in rumor pieces with nothing coming to fruition.

Perhaps the time wasn't right in 2019, but things have changed since then and Maddon's resume suits the Phillies' needs.

One of Philadelphia's biggest desires is for post-season baseball to return to Citizens Bank Park. In order to achieve that, playoff experience is required and is favored in new acquisitions.

During Kyle Schwarber's introduction press conference, Phillies President of Baseball Operations David Dombrowski spoke about the importance of playoff experience, "I think we needed to have someone with that type of experience for us... it was extremely important."

Joe Maddon After Cubs Won World Series in 2016
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

On his resume, Maddon has more than enough of that with his biggest achievement being his 2016 World Series win with the Chicago Cubs. Granted, other than 2016, Maddon has only made one other World Series appearance which was against the Phillies in 2008. But his lack of World Series appearances shouldn't muddy Maddon's reputation, he currently sits with 32 postseason wins which is the 11th most in the history of the MLB.

Another important thing for Philadelphia to take into consideration is a manager's ability to manage big-name players. The Phillies' roster is chalked full of them from reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper, to Kyle Schwarber, Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler... the list can go on.

This is another aspect that Maddon can bring to the table as he has managed plenty of personalities over the years.

Whether it was the rise of Evan Longoria during his time with Tampa Bay, Kris Bryant during his championship era with the Cubs, or Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani during his most recent stint with the Angels.

Apart from being managed by Maddon, another thing that links all of these players is their rankings in MVP races during their time under Maddon. Longoria placed sixth in 2010, Bryant won it in 2015, Trout placed fifth in 2020, and Ohtani took home the award in 2021.

It's clear that at least a part of their successes has Maddon's fingerprints all over it. So who isn't to say that he wouldn't do the same with some of the Phillies' big-name players?

Joe Maddon with Kyle Schwarber
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Two of the big offseason acquisitions for Philadelphia have previously played under Maddon, as both Schwarber and Nick Castellanos played with the Cubs.

Schwarber played with Maddon's Cubs team for four seasons, where he hit .235/.339/.490. Castellanos was dealt to the Cubs on the deadline in 2019, where within the 51 games he played, he slugged .321/.356/.646 with 16 home runs and 36 RBI.

As the Phillies' search for a new manager continues, they have just been given a potential candidate. Now only time will tell if Maddon will come home to Philadelphia or if this homecoming will elude him for a second time within three years.