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Former Phillies GM Takes Job in Brewers Front Office

Five years after signing on as Phillies general manager, Matt Klentak has accepted a job as special assistant for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Author:
Ben Silver
Updated:
Jan 24, 2022 10:55 AM EST

In the blustery late-fall of 2015, the Phillies had narrowed down their search for general manager to three finalists, Dan Kantrovitz, Chaim Bloom and Matt Klentak. Today Bloom is the Chief Baseball Officer for the Boston Red Sox, successor to Dave Dombrowski as head of baseball operations. Kantrovitz is Chicago Cubs VP of Scouting and Matt Klentak is a special assistant to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Klentak’s new position was announced in a tweet from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal late Sunday evening.

After being reassigned from his general manager role following the 2020 season, Klentak had been the strategy and development officer for the Phillies in 2021.

It is unknown exactly what role “special assistant” entails for the Brewers, but it seems fair to assume the position will relate in some way to their front office given Klentak’s background.

It would also seem that the final year in Klentak’s contract will be made void as his deal with a new club would supersede his contract with the Phillies. The monetary value of his initial deal was never revealed as the Phillies themselves never formally announced the details of the contract.

Though Klentak is now gone from Philadelphia, the city he called home for five seasons, his legacy has been mostly written as a baseball executive for the Phillies. All that remains to be seen are the prospects of his final amateur draftees and international free agents acquisitions.

Ironically, Klentak’s last two first round picks are the top two prospects in the Phillies organization according to MLB.com, Mick Abel and Bryson Stott.

Should players like Stott, Abel and former international amateurs like Johan Rojas develop into major leaguers, Klentak’s reputation in Philadelphia could see a remarkable upturn, or downturn if these players fail to make an impact.