Phillies Fire Ed Wade
On Monday, the Phillies finally pulled the trigger and fired Ed Wade as general manager. There is much rejoice in Fire Ed Wade land, also known as the Philadelphia metropolitan area (and parts of London). The move had to be made and I’m glad Monty had the courage to do it. It portrayed his decision making ability as a stark contrast to what we have seen under Ed Wade’s tenure. But a bit dissapointing was the catalyst that sealed Wade’s fate. It was not his track record of bad trades or dearth of leadership deficiencies, rather it was a vision of the Phillies playing ball in October.
Montgomery said he’d been contemplating the move for some time, and he made the decision as the Astros were finishing off the Braves in an 18-inning thriller. He called Wade on Monday and requested a meeting.
“I think he did a good job. At the same time, he’s been our GM for eight years. It was frustrating to watch 18 innings last night and know we were a game or two away from that opportunity ourselves.”
Wow, how ironic. I guess we should thank the Astros for edging us in the wild card. Without that, we would almost certainly have Wade on for another year or two. Funny how things work out.
So looking ahead, the interview committee has plenty of resumes to review. Here are the most likely candidates:
Ruben Amaro Jr. – current Phillies assistant GM
Mike Arbuckle
Gerry Hunsicker – former Astros GM, Pennsylvania native
Pat Gillick – former Blue Jays and Mariners GM
John Hart – former Indians and Rangers GM
Brian Cashman – current Yankees GM
Theo Epstein – current Red Sox GM
Chris Antonetti – current Cleveland assistant GM
An Inquirer poll puts Brian Cashman in the lead, most likely due to his obvious displeasure working for the Steinbrenner and expected departure from the Bronx. Furthermore, Newsday claims the “opening would be a natural for Cashman“. However, it seems like Ruben Amaro Jr. will be taking over interim duties as he, along with Montgomery, are expected to meet with Billy Wagner on Wednesday to discuss resigning the closer. I definitely think the Phillies should wait until a new GM is hired before they resign Wagner. Certain moves will have to be made this off season and Wagner may be a part of them.
