By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor 
It's been 27 days since the Philadelphia Phillies announced that former pinch-hitter Matt Stairs would be leaving his role as a color commentator on Comcast SportsNet's telecasts of team's games to become the club's new hitting coach. In that time, an extensive search for his replacement doesn't seem to have taken place.
The only name that has been connected to the team through media reports in Wall of Famer John Kruk, who exited ESPN in October after a stint that lasted more than a decade. MLB.com's Todd Zolecki noted on Nov. 2, the day that the position publicly became available, that Comcast SportsNet was discussing a deal with Kruk to replace Stairs, though he noted that if a deal was completed it would be for a 'limited schedule' of games.
Since then, not much has been said about the vacant position. Tuesday, Zolecki updated the network's pursuit of Kruk:
"Talks with Kruk have continued this month, but it is unclear if an announcement is imminent."
It should be noted, under the 25-year contract that the Phillies signed with Comcast SportsNet in 2014 to allow them to continue to be the sole broadcaster of the games, Comcast SportsNet assumed control over who announces the team's games. Prior to 2014, the Phillies made decisions regarding on-air talent for the network's broadcasts.
If the network is able to land Kruk as their second play-by-play announcer, Ben Davis, who has served as one of the team's two color commentators since 2015, will likely see an increase in the amount of games that he calls. Kruk, as Zolecki initially noted, likely wouldn't be taking on an overly demanding workload.
It's entirely possible that this search will continue into 2017, as the Phillies potentially wait for Kruk to make a decision and/or continue to attempt to reach a deal with his representatives. Kruk may also be weighing offers from other networks, such as TBS or FS1.
Should Kruk not join the team's television broadcast booth, a few things could happen. Comcast SportsNet could consider other options, such as Jimmy Rollins, Doug Glanville or Kevin Stocker. Ben Davis could enter 2017 as the only television color commentator, though both Comcast SportsNet and the Phillies have normally staffed two color commentators in recent years. Perhaps the team could consider making Gregg Murphy, who has been a jack-of-all-trades the past few years, a color commentator, though he would seem more likely to eventually join the booth as the full-time play-by-play announcer.
