Source says Phillies will interview Baker

As the Phillies seek to replace fired Gabe Kapler, they are set to interview one of the winningest managers of all time.

Dusty Baker will meet with the Phillies on Wednesday, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, after receiving permission from the Giants. For the past two seasons, he has worked as a special adviser to Giants CEO Larry Baer.

The Phillies also are expected to meet this week with another veteran manager, Buck Showalter, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Baker, 70, has 1,863 career regularseason victories, 15th in history, over 22 years with the Giants (19932002), Cubs (200306), Reds (200813), and Nationals (201617). A threetime National League manager of the year, he has steered teams to 14 winning seasons, seven division titles and nine postseason appearances, but has been to the World Series only once, with the runnerup Giants in 2002.

It will mark Baker’s first managerial interview since he was fired by the Nationals after the 2017 season. He has seemed content to work for the Giants and watch his son, Darren, play at Cal.

But a source said Sunday that Baker “absolutely” wants to manage again and has a strong desire to reach 2,000 career wins, a mark reached by only 11 managers, most recently by Bruce Bochy.

Baker has relationships with two members of the Phillies organization: team president Andy MacPhail and right fielder Bryce Harper.

As president of the Cubs, MacPhail helped hire Baker in 2003. Harper played for Baker for two years in Washington and, by all accounts, they got along well.