Phillies hire new director of player development

The Phillies moved to grab what people are calling an “up and comer” to run their minor league player development.

To see the Phillies move this quickly to get this done signifies that they probably believed he was going to go quickly once the season was over. They got out ahead of the competition and got their man.

Hopefully, Mattingly knows what he is getting into. The Phillies aren’t exactly known for being a paragon of player development, what with their lack of homegrown stars on the current team and the disappointing players that have been drafted and developed in the higher rounds during their rebuild. Hiring Mattingly is just the first step though. What is just as important is who he hires to help him getting the player development program on track.

This is where the team should be flexing their financial muscle. Whatever money Mattingly wants to get this program should be put at his disposal. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but for now, the team has who they want. Let’s hope this one works.