UPDATED: 10/4/20, 11:04 a.m.
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Another season without playoff baseball was enough.
Just under a week after the Phillies failed to make the post-season for the ninth straight year, the team announced Matt Klentak has stepped down as the team's general manager.
Klentak has two years left on his contract and will be reassigned to a new position in the organization, but the team will now be looking for new GM after a disastrous finish to the 2020 season, ending with a 28-32 record. In the meantime, Ned Rice will serve as interim general manager until a successor is hired.
Owner John Middleton took to Zoom Saturday night to explain the decision. He said progress was made during Klentak's tenure, but not enough for him to keep his general manager's job.
"I've just been looking over time at what we're doing and the progress we've made," said Middleton. "I've come to the conclusion that we've made progress, but we haven't made enough progress fast enough."
That lack of progress included another season without playoffs in a year when baseball expanded its post-season field. The Phillies lost seven of their final eight games and let a seemingly comfortable playoff birth slip away. Middleton admitted that more than just a playoff berth was likely needed for Klentak to remain the general manager. Middleton added he believes the lack of talent development was a factor just as it has been through the history of the franchise.
"There have been two periods in the Phillies history where we had a burst," Middleton said. "Kind of late '60s early '70s when we had a bunch of good evaluations that resulted in good drafts. We had a burst in the late 90s into the early 2000s that resulted in two World Series teams and other than that, we've been hit and miss."
"It's the acquisition and the development of talent that is critical," he added. "I'll be looking for people who have proven that they can do that."
The disappointing season also increased the anger directed at Klentak by the fans. It was clear the Phillies fan base was hungry for a change. While Middleton appreciates the voices of the fans, he insisted the wrath of Phillies Nation did not factor into his decision.
"It's not that I'm not aware of what they think," said Middleton. "It's not that I don't care what they think. I made my decision because of what I felt was in the best interest of the organization."
The search will now begin for Klentak's replacement. Middleton did not set a timetable for the hiring of the new general manager, and the pandemic may delay the process even further. However, Middleton is not looking back after another season without playoff baseball in Philadelphia.
"I don't hold Matt responsible for the creation of the problem," Middleton said. "I think we're better than we are and where we have been and historically, we just didn't get there fast enough."
