As the Phillies begin the search to replace deposed Gabe Kapler, they are scheduled to interview one of the winningest managers of all time.
Dusty Baker will meet with the Phillies on Wednesday, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, after receiving permission from the San Francisco Giants. For the last two seasons, he has worked as a special adviser to Giants CEO Larry Baer.
The Phillies also are expected to meet this week with another veteran manager, Buck Showalter, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Baker, 70, has 1,863 career regular-season victories, the 15th most in baseball history, over 22 years with the Giants (1993-2002), Chicago Cubs (2003-06), Cincinnati Reds (2008-13), and Washington Nationals (2016-17). A three-time National League manager of the year, he has steered teams to 14 winning seasons, seven division titles and nine postseason appearances, but has been to the World Series only once with the runner-up Giants in 2002.
It will mark Baker's first managerial interview since he was fired by the Nationals after the 2017 season. He has seemed content to serve in his role with the Giants and watch his son, Darren, play for the University of California.
But a source said Sunday that Baker "absolutely" wants to manage again and has a strong desire to reach 2,000 career wins, a mark reached by only 11 managers, reached most recently by retired Giants skipper Bruce Bochy.
Baker also has relationships with two prominent members of the Phillies organization: team president Andy MacPhail and superstar right fielder Bryce Harper.
As president of the Cubs, MacPhail played a role in hiring Baker in 2003. Harper played for Baker for two years in Washington and, by all accounts, they got along well. After Baker got fired, he told the Washington Post that Harper is "probably the most knowledgeable baseball guy I've been around," strong praise considering he has been in the game for 52 years, including a 19-year playing career in which he was teammates with Hank Aaron in Atlanta and played for Tommy Lasorda in Los Angeles.
Baker figures to command respect from the players based simply on his resume and track record. It's worth wondering, though, how his typically traditional approach to creating offense, including a focus on manufacturing runs without hitting homers, would mesh with the Phillies' recent emphasis on launch angle and powering the ball out of the park.
During a 57-minute news conference Friday, Phillies managing partner John Middleton, team president Andy MacPhail, and general manager Matt Klentak were purposely vague about outlining what qualifications they are seeking in the next manager. Although Middleton noted the importance of trying to find "the next Craig Counsell," a reference to the Milwaukee Brewers' first-time manager, it's widely believed that they are prioritizing experience after choosing Kapler, who had never served on a major-league coaching staff before he was hired two years ago.
The Phillies' interest in Baker would seem to confirm that suspicion.
"We certainly know what proven, experienced managers don't have jobs and are looking," Middleton said. "We also know where those managers have indicated a preference to go and where we are slotted in their personal pecking order."
It seems likely that Middleton was referring to Baker, Showalter, Joe Girardi, and Joe Maddon, all of whom are receiving consideration for several of the eight managerial vacancies and are expected to draw interest from the Phillies.
A more experienced manager will also command a higher salary than Kapler, who made $803,000 last year. Baker, for instance, had a two-year, $4 million contract in his most recent managerial job with the Nationals.
The Phillies' new manager is set to inherit seven coaches who have been informed that they are being retained but will have a say in hiring a new hitting coach and pitching coach.
