Phillies’ Dusty Wathan, Kevin Long emerge as managerial candidates

As the Phillies’ postseason run stretches deeper into October, multiple coaches have emerged as managerial candidates.

Third base coach Dusty Wathan, in particular, interviewed this week for the Kansas City Royals vacancy after talking to the Miami Marlins last weekend, a source said Friday, confirming an NBC Sports Philadelphia report.

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”I lean on Dusty a lot because he has managed so many games in the minor leagues,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said before the Phillies faced the San Diego Padres in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. “He understands the game so well. As I said before, I think this guy should have been managing years ago in the big leagues.”

Wathan, 49, managed 10 seasons in the Phillies’ minor-league system before serving as the third base coach for the last five years under Gabe Kapler, Joe Girardi, and now Thomson. He also is well acquainted with the Royals organization. His father, John Wathan, caught for Kansas City from 1976-85 before managing the club from 1987-91.

Hitting coach Kevin Long was mentioned recently by MLB.com as a candidate for several vacancies. In addition to the Royals and Marlins, the Chicago White Sox are looking for a manager. The Texas Rangers hired Bruce Bochy on Friday, while the Toronto Blue Jays removed the interim tag from John Schneider.

Long, 55, is a respected hitting coach after years with the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Washington Nationals. He’s completing his first season with the Phillies.

”He’s so good for me because he keeps me grounded, he keeps me balanced,” Thomson said. “And he’s got so much energy that when the players come to the cage, if they’re tired, by the time they leave the cage, they’re full of energy and they’re ready to go.”