Larry Bowa tugged the white Phillies “P” on his chest Friday afternoon, a few hours after the organization informed him that he would be a free agent after the weekend.
“My No.1 priority is to wear this,” Bowa said, raising the team emblem before heading to batting practice.
General manager Matt Klentak told Bowa, the team’s bench coach, and the other coaches that Pete Mackanin’s replacement as manager would be the one to decide if any members of the staff would return in 2018. Bowa — who is in his 33rd season with the Phillies as either a player, manager, or coach — said he would take any role to stay with the Phils, even a front-office job.