PHILADELPHIA – It was a year ago this week that Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. fired the winningest manager in franchise history.

Amaro cried sitting next to Charlie Manuel at a news conference, then stated, "This isn't a blame game. I'm not here to blame Charlie for our issues. We all have a part in it."

The Phillies, NL East champions every year from 2007-11 and World Series champs in 2008, were a mess when Manuel was dismissed last Aug. 16.

They still are under new manager Ryne Sandberg, and already there's speculation that more big changes are forthcoming.

FOX Sports baseball reporter Ken Rosenthal listed nine franchises that are candidates to undergo major front office changes before next season and No. 1 on his list was the Phillies.

Here's what Rosenthal wrote about the Phillies' situation:

Just like last season, this one has been a disaster for the Phillies.

These Phillies are 53-66 and dead last in the NL East after losing 5-3 on Monday to the Mets.

The 2013 Phillies were 53-67 when Manuel was let go two losses plus an off day after he'd won his 1,000th career game as a big-league manager.

Initially named interim manager, Sandberg lost that tag a month later after the Phillies went 18-16 in their first 34 games after Manuel's dismissal.

Now a game shy of having a managed a full season, Sandberg’s record is a very unimpressive 73-88.

As Amaro stated a year ago, there's a lot of blame to pass along.

Blame Amaro for adding old players to an old roster that already has used 10 players aged 35 and older, 20 players aged 30 or older.

Blame Sandberg for not getting more from a roster that began the season with Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and A.J. Burnett headed his starting rotation, for not getting more production from former NL MVP Ryan Howard and 2013 NL All-Star Dom Brown, among others.

Blame the players.

This season will not end well, and as Rosenthal suggests, big changes may be coming that could lead to a new GM, a new manager and a bunch of new players.