Phillies Rumors: GM Matt Klentak Expected to Return Despite Missing Playoffs

The Philadelphia Phillies were among the most disappointing teams in all of Major League Baseball in 2020 and missed out on the expanded playoff field.

Despite those failures, general manager Matt Klentak is reportedly expected to remain with the team. Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported the news Monday, noting managing partner John Middleton did not make a formal decision about Klentak even though a team source believes he will stay.

Philadelphia had the pieces to contend for a playoff spot with, what Brookover noted, was a payroll that came in just under the luxury tax threshold at $207 million.

However, the bullpen finished with an abysmal 7.06 ERA, undercutting a solid offense and starting staff for much of the year. The result was a 28-32 record, which was not good enough to qualify for even the eighth spot in the National League playoff field.

Klentak at least had one person in his corner, considering manager Joe Girardi advocated for him following the regular season.

"I love working with Matt," Girardi said, per Brookover. "It has been a real pleasure working with him, so I look forward to working with him next year and this offseason trying to get this thing right. He's working just as hard as the rest of us."

Klentak has been the general manager for the last five years, all of which Philadelphia failed to make the playoffs.

In fact, it did not even finish with a winning record one time during that span and hasn't done so since the 2011 campaign when it reached the playoffs at 102-60.

Still, it appears as if Klentak will have at least one more year to turn things around for the Phillies.