PHILADELPHIA – Pete Mackanin, arms folded, stared straight ahead as he listened stoically on the dais.
General manager Matt Klentak said all the right things Friday afternoon, complimenting Mackanin’s performance the last 2 ½ years as “a trusted ally and partner in the rebuild” during his stint as the Phillies’ manager.
Officially, Mackanin has been reassigned and will serve as a special assistant to Klentak for 2018. What that job will entail has not yet been defined, though the position includes a contract extension. But that’s merely semantics. The reality: Mackanin was fired as the Phillies’ manager, and with the move, the pressure shifts onto Klentak.