Phillies president Andy MacPhail had not worked in a Major League front office since the conclusion of the 2011 season, when he opted not to sign another contract with the Baltimore Orioles. After joining the Phillies in 2015, MacPhail found his general manager in former Orioles employee Matt Klentak, who served as director of baseball operations for the Orioles. But, the Phillies have added another from that Orioles front office.
According to Roch Kubatko of MASN, the Phillies have added Ned Rice as assistant general manager:
Ned Rice, the club's director of major league administration, has accepted a position in the Phillies' front office, according to multiple sources. He will be reunited with Andy MacPhail, president of baseball operations, and Matt Klentak, named general manager in late October.
The Phillies also employ former Orioles executives Scott Proefrock and Joe Jordan.
I've heard that Rice is taking a position as an assistant to MacPhail, though neither team has announced the hire.
Update: I'm told that Rice's title will be assistant general manager.
The Orioles connection does not stop with Rice, Klentak and MacPhail.
The Phillies opted to retain two high-level executives in assistant general manager Scott Proefrock and director of scouting Joe Jordan. Both were hired from the Orioles organization as well; both worked under MacPhail. So far in Philadelphia, MacPhail has held true to his "grow the arms, buy the bats" mantra he had with the Orioles. The Phillies have stocked up on potential pitchers; down the line MacPhail and his team will add some free agent bats when the time is right, if history repeats itself.
