Philadelphia Phillies: It’s increasingly clear Gabe Kapler wasn’t the problem

Maybe Gabe Kapler wasn’t the Philadelphia Phillies problem after all.

Following Wednesday’s slate of games, it is becoming increasingly clear Gabe Kapler was not the problem with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Now I would like to get out in front of the false narrative that may be derived from the title of this article. Yes, I am thrilled Joe Girardi is the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. I felt that a new voice was needed in the clubhouse, and Girardi was the perfect guy for the job. However, as this hybrid version of the 2020 season continues to unfold, it has become increasingly clear that the issues with the Phillies run much deeper than who the manager is.

The Phillies split a seven-inning doubleheader on Wednesday with the Girardi’s former club, the New York Yankees. After jumping out in front to an 11-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Phillies bullpen reared its ugly head. Austin Davis allowed four runs on four hits while only recording a single out. Trevor Kelley followed and allowed three base runners while also only recording 1 out. This forced Joe Girardi to go to his closer Hector Neris, in a game where the Phillies led by 8 runs in the final inning. While Neris only threw 1 pitch to close the game out, this snowballed into the nightcap.

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In Game 2, the Phillies got an absolutely dominant performance from their ace, Aaron Nola. Despite not winning a decision since last August, Nola certainly did enough to warrant a victory on Wednesday, as he only allowed three hits and a one-run ball while tying his career-high 12 punchouts in only six innings of action. At 88 pitches, Girardi rather questionably decided it would be best to go to his bullpen in a 1-1 game. And since the Phillies were forced to use Neris in the first game, it may have forced Girardi to look elsewhere for outs. Predictably, it blew up in his face.

Tommy Hunter proceeded to allow four hits and two runs before even recording an out, and just like that, a winnable ballgame evaded the Phillies; dropping the ball club to 2-4 on the season.

Elsewhere, Kapler’s San Francisco Giants won a tight game against the Colorado Rockies 4-3, pushing their record to 6-7 on the season. Yes, I understand that is not a particularly great record, but, considering the talent on that roster (which is virtually non-existent), it’s impressive what Kapler has done so far out West.

Actually, the Giants’ recent success feels eerily similar to the success Kapler had with the Phillies from 2018-19, which included poorly constructed rosters and questionable front office decisions. Essentially, maybe Kapler wasn’t the issue here in Philly after all.

Through the first few weeks of the season, it has become apparent that it’s the way the Phillies roster is built that is the issue. From completely neglecting the team’s bullpen issues to mismanaging the J.T Realmuto contract situation, the issues upstairs are becoming more apparent with each passing day.

Again, I fully believe that Girardi is the right man for the job in Philadelphia. He brings a winning pedigree and his voice carries a ton of weight, as he’s one of the more respected guys in the sport.

Girardi’s situation feels like the opposite of Kapler’s, who was essentially doomed as the Philadelphia Phillies’ skipper from the start. While his approach was certainly unorthodox, he kept some overachieving Phillies teams in the race into September. However, with the way things are going right now, it doesn’t seem to matter who is managing the ball club, as their front office obstacles appear inescapable.