The Phillies relieved manager Joe Girardi of his duties Friday following a disappointing 22–29 start to the 2022 season.
Appearing on MLB Network Radio in the aftermath of his exit, Girardi explained why he believes team brass decided to move on.
“There’s a number of reasons we didn’t win,” he said, per The Athletic. “We gave too many extra outs that probably cost us four or five games, maybe even more. At times our bullpen struggled. We had some guys that have much better stuff than the potential that they pitched to, which lead to some games.
“Some guys got off to slow starts offensively and that happens. I think you can overcome sometimes one thing, maybe even two but sometimes when it’s more than that, it’s somewhat difficult.”
While Girardi’s take sounds as if it could apply to numerous teams, the numbers suggest the Phillies’ pitching woes could be a large part to blame for the start, with the club ranking top 10 in most batting metrics. Philly’s bullpen has surrendered the eighth-most hits (421), is tied for 11th in runs allowed (229) and ranks 18th with a collective 4.05 ERA.
On the flip side, the team’s President of Baseball Operations David Dombrowski cited the bad start as the biggest reason for the change. “While all of us share the responsibility for the shortcomings, I felt that a change was needed and that a new voice in the clubhouse would give us the best chance to turn things around,” he said.
Regardless of the reason for his departure, Girardi’s time with the Phillies has come to an end after three seasons. He leaves the club with an overall record of 132–141 and zero playoff appearances.
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