By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Earlier this offseason, Sports Talk Philly's Tim Kelly examined how the Philadelphia Phillies should proceed contractually with manager Pete Mackanin. The 65-year-old is entering the final guaranteed season of his deal, but the team could exercise his 2018 option to avoid having him enter 2017 as a lame duck. They could also sign him to a long-term contract, which would suggest that they believe he will be their manager when they are contending again.
Right now, it makes sense for the Phillies to have Mackanin enter the 2017 season as a lame duck, knowing that they can choose to exercise his option for 2018 or negotiate a long-term deal at any time.
Of the last five Phillies’ managers, Mackanin has the worst winning percentage through his first 250 games in red pinstripes, .432. His previous four predecessors, Ryne Sandberg (.448), Charlie Manuel (.512), Larry Bowa (.504) and Terry Francona (.456) have all out-performed him throughout different eras of the franchise dating back to 1997.
What is not shown in statistics, however, is Mackanin’s presence and impact upon the ball club. The 65-year-old has brought the clubhouse together remarkably, among the young and old players of the roster which in recent months has seen a dramatic turnover from the 2008 championship team. Unifying the team was a task that Sandberg arguably failed to do during his short three-year, 278-game stint as Phillies manager from 2013-2015.
Still, just like Team President Andy MacPhail and Vice President and General Manager Matt Klentak have harped on, remaining patient and observant is the key to success. Mackanin has been provided respectable veteran talent this offseason in Howie Kendrick and Michael Saunders in the corner outfield, right-hander Clay Buchholz in the rotation, along with right-hander Joaquin Benoit and southpaw Pat Neshek in the bullpen. Seeing how these players mentor and improve the play of Maikel Franco, Tommy Joseph, Aaron Nola, Vince Velasquez, and others will be the ultimate deciding factor for Mackanin.
I believe since the club has yet to pick up Mackanin’s 2018 option at this point in the offseason, it is best to see how he works with his team this spring and how that translates to the win-loss column in the early few weeks of April before entertaining any contract negotiations.
Mackanin understands where the team stands and its recent history. He spent four years as Charlie Manuel’s bench coach from 2009-2012 and was a first-hand witness to a near-World Series victory over C.C. Sabathia and the New York Yankees. He surely is determined to get the Phillies back to playing postseason baseball.
