The Phillies continue to move along in their search for a new head of baseball operations.
According to sources, the team will conduct second interviews with candidates Josh Byrnes and Michael Hill.
Byrnes is senior vice president of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has been with that club since 2014 after stints as general manager with the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres.
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Hill is the former general manager and president of baseball operations with the Miami Marlins.
The Phillies' timetable for hiring a new head of baseball operations is not known and both managing partner John Middleton and club president Andy MacPhail have said that interim general manager Ned Rice could remain in that role into the 2021 season if the right candidate does not emerge.
At the moment, the Phillies appear to be targeting candidates who could serve as president of baseball operations. That person would report to ownership and possibly hire his own general manager.
In October, Middleton talked about what he was looking for in his new head of baseball ops.
MLB
"It's the acquisition and the development of talent that is critical so I'll be looking for people who have proven that they can do that," he said. "That's where my target is."
Middleton spearheaded the Phillies' movement into the analytical age over the last half-decade and it's doubtful he will abandon that commitment. So it seems the ideal candidate will offer a blend of traditional and progressive philosophies when it comes to building a sustainable baseball operation.
It is not known if any other candidates other than Byrnes and Hill are receiving second interviews.
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