Baseball’s playoff test

There won’t be much time to rest in the postseason bubbles.

The Phillies removed their general manager Saturday but the change atop the front office should not be expected to be drastic as they simply replaced Matt Klentak with his trusted confidant.

Ned Rice, Klentak’s first front- office hire five years ago, was elevated to interim general manager and could remain in that position through the 2021 season.

Usually, an interim GM is a temporary position tasked with overseeing the front office until a permanent replacement is hired.

This time, the Phillies seem prepared to stretch the definition of “interim.”

Managing partner John Middleton said complications brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, such as an inability to have in- person interviews and challenges of a new hire meeting staff through video conferencing, could force the Phillies to slow their search.

So for now, they turn to Rice as they enter a pivotal offseason.

J. T. Realmuto and Didi Gregorius are weeks away from free agency, baseball’s worst bullpen in 90 years needs to be rebuilt, and the final pieces of the starting rotation need to be addressed.

Nationals

Washington pitching coach Paul Menhart will not be brought back next season after working in the organization for 15 years. A team spokesman confirmed that the team would let Menhart go. His contract is up after this season. Menhart was the Nationals’ minor league pitching coordinator when he was brought up to work with the major league club in May 2019, replacing fired pitching coach Derek Lilliquist.

Yankees

In a 2020 season that has had all sorts of odd twists, Aaron Boone will be managing New York in an AL Division Series in an NL ballpark in the city where the Boone family dynasty has its roots. Boone’s grandfather, Ray, and father, Bob, went to San Diego high schools that aren’t far from Petco Park, which will host the YankeesRays ALDS and then the ALCS in one of MLB’s bubbles.

Dodgers

Los Angeles announced that former great Ron Perranoski, a two- time World Series- winning reliever with the club in the 1960s who went on to serve for 14 years as its pitching coach, died at age 84 on Friday night. The news came less than a week after the Dodgers announced the deaths of fellow former players Jay Johnstone and “Sweet” Lou Johnson.