By Michael Heilman

The Philadelphia Phillies announced today they have hired Joe Girardi as the new manager of the Phillies. Girardi signed a three-year contract with a team option in 2023. Girardi will be introduced as the new manager at the Phillies press conference on Monday.

Joe Girardi put out a statement today saying, “I’m excited for this next chapter of my career,” he added “The Phillies have a strong commitment to winning from the owners to the front office to the players to the fans. It’s something that I’ve seen up close for the last 30 years of my baseball career. I played against the great Phillies players of the early ’90s from Dutch Daulton to John Kruk to Dave Hollins, and I managed against their teams during the incredible run they had from 2008 to 2011. To have my name now associated with this great franchise is something that I couldn’t be happier about.”

Girardi was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the fifth round of the 1986 MLB Draft. He made his debut for the Cubs in 1989 and played for the Cubs until after the 1991 season. In 1993, the Cubs did not protect Girardi, and he was taken in the expansion draft by the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies traded Girardi to the Yankees after the 1995 season. There, he won three World Series titles. After his Yankees tenure ended, Girardi had a second stint with the Cubs for three years, making the NL All-Star team in 2000. His final season was in 2003 playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. After the 2003 season, Girardi retired. Girardi’s career numbers as a player hitting a .267 BA, 422 RBI’s, 44 SB, and 36 HR.

Three years after retiring from baseball, Girardi became the manager for the Florida Marlins in 2006. The Marlins finished the season with a 78-84 record. Girardi won the Manager of the Year award but was fired after his only season in Florida. Girardi then became the manager of the New York Yankees in 2008. During his ten years as the Yankees manager, the team went 910-710 winning the AL East title three-time, AL Pennant two times and winning the World Series in 2009 defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. The Yankees let Girardi’s contract expire after the 2017 season, and he has since been working as a studio analyst for MLB Network.

Girardi brings a wealth of experience to the Phillies, who haven’t had a winning season since 2011. During that run, the Phillies won five straight NL East titles, two NL Pennants, and winning the World Series in 2008. The Phillies declined rapidly after the 2011 season and have finished third or worse since.

Phillies General Manager Matt Klentak commented on the hiring of Girardi saying “Joe brings high character and a tremendous work ethic to his position, and he is a proven winner,” he added “I look forward to working with him, and I believe that he is the right manager to lead our team to the next level.”

With Girardi on board, the Phillies can now focus on adding the pieces they need to contend for next season. The MLB offseason begins one day after the World Series concludes.