Courtesy Matt Slater on Twitter
The Phillies have added another name in their pursuit of a new general manager. With president Andy MacPhail officially taking the helm this week, the hire of a general manager may be nearing closer. We have heard plenty of names brought up thus far in the Phillies' search, but a new one has entered into the running.
Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com reports that Cardinals director of player personnel Matt Slater interviewed for the open job:
Matt Slater, the Cardinals' director of player personnel, interviewed for the position last week, according to a Major League source. Slater joins MLB vice president of baseball operations Kim Ng, Indians vice president of player personnel Ross Atkins and former Marlins GM Larry Beinfest as the known candidates for the job. Royals assistant general manager J.J. Picollo and Angels assistant Matt Klentak have also been reported as possibilities.
Will six candidates be enough? The team is likely drawing close to concluding their search.
Slater has an impressive resume on Linked In, with the following biography:
Matt Slater joined the Cardinal organization in 2007 and is in his 24th year in Major League Baseball. Named Director of Player Personnel in January 2012, Matt, in his role as senior talent evaluator, works hand in hand with the General Manager in all player acquisitions including Major League, minor league, amateur draft and international talent. Furthermore, Matt aids in contract negotiations and roster composition. For the past seven years, Matt has served as a consultant to the Orix Buffaloes Baseball Club of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league.
Prior to joining the Cardinals, Matt served in various management capacities of the Los Angeles Dodgers for nine years, including Director of Scouting Operations, Director of Baseball Operations and Director of Professional Scouting. While with the Dodgers, Matt oversaw scouting operations while also being involved with contract negotiations, arbitration and roster management.
Before his time with the Dodgers, Matt was with the Baltimore Orioles from 1995-98 as the Administrator of Scouting. He got his start in professional baseball with the Milwaukee Brewers when he was 19 years old. Beginning in 1991, he served as the Brewers’ Scouting and Player Development Assistant.
The Saint Louis Cardinals, of course, are a perennial playoff contender.
As plenty of the names on the list have impressive resumes, it sounds as if the Phillies cannot go wrong. The real test will be who can best work along with MacPhail, who will have the final say on all baseball operation matters. As MacPhail said during his hiring interview, "Let's face it, I'm not here for my marketing acumen". So, the new general manager will have to be second to MacPhail.
