Updated: 4:15 p.m.
Phillies president Andy MacPhail has said it would be ideal, but not imperative, to have a general manager in place by the time the team begins its annual organization meetings in Clearwater on Monday night.
If MacPhail wants to achieve his ideal, the schedule is on his side.
Major League Baseball frowns on teams making major announcements during the postseason, but does consent to teams doing so between series and on off days.
The National League Championship Series was completed when the New York Mets swept the Chicago Cubs earlier this week.
Barring weather delays, the American League Championship Series will end no later than Saturday night, earlier if the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6 on Friday night.
The World Series begins Tuesday night in the AL city.
MLB
This leaves MacPhail plenty of window to make his announcement before the team’s organization meetings begin — and sources have told CSNPhilly.com that could happen.
It is unusual for teams to make major announcements on weekends. If the Phillies wanted to avoid doing that, they could make their announcement on Monday morning. That would give MacPhail and his new GM plenty of time to get to Florida for the organization meetings, which don’t begin in earnest until Tuesday morning.
MacPhail’s search for a replacement for Ruben Amaro Jr. has been ongoing for six weeks. A source confirmed that MacPhail has narrowed his list of candidates to three: Los Angeles Angels assistant GM Matt Klentak, Oakland A's assistant GM Dan Kantrovitz and Tampa Bay Rays VP of baseball operations Chaim Bloom.
Klentak's was the first name connected to the Phils’ job and there seems to be much traction surrounding him. He previously worked for MacPhail during MacPhail’s time as Baltimore’s president of baseball operations and has an extensive background in analytics. That is something that John Middleton, the most vocal member of the team’s ownership ground, wants in his general manager. He said so during a news conference last month.
Keep an eye on the ALCS. When the last pitch is thrown, the Phillies go on the clock and they might just have a GM by the time the first pitch of the World Series is thrown.