Amid Managerial Rumors, Long Appears to be Staying with Philadelphia Phillies
Members of the Philadelphia Phillies' coaching staff have been popping up all over the place in reference to open managerial gigs in Major League Baseball.
Initially, third base coach Dusty Wathan and Kevin Long had been mentioned as possibilities for both the Miami Marlins, Kansas City Royals, and in Long's case, the Chicago White Sox openings at manager.
That was until Dusty Wathan signed a multi-year extension with the club, keeping him in Philadelphia long-term.
Like Wathan, Long appears to have been eliminated from the managerial mix due to teams already filling the role ahead of the conclusion of the 2022 MLB season.
The six obvious openings with the Marlins (filled by Skip Schumaker), Toronto Blue Jays (filled by John Schneider), Royals (filled by Matt Quatraro), White Sox (filled by Pedro Grifol), Texas Rangers (filled by Bruce Bochy) and Los Angeles Angels (filled by Phil Nevin) have all been satisfied for the 2023 season.
This serves as great news for the Phillies, who have been in need of a long-term solution at hitting coach. Long has been imperative to Phillies hitters' improvement during the 2022 season. He's made notable adjustments in hitters like Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Brandon Marsh, and jives well with the team's clubhouse as currently constructed.
With his one-year contract set to expire, one would hope the team will aim to extend Long after a year of such promise. They could also look to lengthen the tenures of both pitching coach Caleb Cotham and infield coach Bobby Dickerson, who too have done wonders for the club.
It's been a successful season for the Phillies on a coaching front, as they've seemingly found long-term staples at the majority of their necessary positions.
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