Phillies to name Matt Klentak general manager

trThe Philadelphia Phillies will name Angels assistant GM Matt Klentak to their vacant general manager position, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports. 

Klentak was mentioned as one of three finalists for the position yesterday by Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Chaim Bloom of the Rays and Dan Kantrovitz of the A's were the other two. 

The 35-year-old Klentak represents quite a change for the Phillies in the GM position. He will be replacing recently-fired Ruben Amaro Jr. at the helm, who is known as a non-believer in analytics.

Klentak, however, is a graduate of Dartmouth College, getting a degree in economics, and is known as an analytically-friendly front office member. He should help to bring the team out of their current state of not using the statistics over scouting. 

The Phillies are operating under completely new leadership in the front office, with well-respected baseball executive Andy MacPhail taking over the President of Baseball Operations position at the end of the season. 

Klentak and MacPhail have already had their share of history together. 

Klentak and MacPhail both worked on the 2006 Collective Bargaining Agreement together with MLB's Labor Relations. Then, in 2008, MacPhail hired Klentak to be the Baltimore Orioles director of baseball operations.

After the 2011 season, Klentak was hired by the Angels to become their assistant general manager, a position he has held since. He interviewed for the Angels' vacant GM position a few weeks ago, but was passed up by ownership.

Klentak will have plenty of work to do, as the Phillies finished 63-99, their first time finishing with 90+ losses since 2000. 

​--Devan Fink  

---