Report: Phillies manager Charlie Manuel to be fired today

Multiple reports are out that indicate that the Philadelphia Phillies are firing long-time manager Charlie Manuel.

The Phillies, one of the biggest disappointments in the majors this season, are currently at 53-67, 20.5 games out of first place in the N.L. East.

Calling the Phillies a trainwreck this season is probably an understatement...their Pythagorean record is actually worse than their actual record, and they are dead last in the N.L. in runs allowed, despite having Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels heading their rotation.  They are also 12th in the N.L. in runs scored.

The most common response on Twitter to this news is that Manuel is being scapegoated, as he is not the person who signed Delmon Young (who has been DFA'd after putting up a -1.0 fWAR on the season), traded for Michael Young (0.2 fWAR on the season), or gave Ryan Howard a 5 year, $125M extension (0.4 fWAR on the season).  Chase Utley has a 3.4 fWAR this year, Domonic Brown has a 2.4 fWAR, and no other position player has even a 1.0 fWAR.  Its hard to see how that is Manuel's fault.

Along the same lines, Lee and Hamels have been good this season, Kyle Kendrick has been okay, but the rest of the pitching staff has been mediocre or worse, along with being hamstrung by a poor defense.  The Phillies have a team UZR of -39.0 this season, the worst in the N.L. and third worst in baseball.

This isn't a good team that was poorly managed...this is a poorly constructed team, and from the outside, it looks like a manager is being scapegoated and being forced to pay for the mistakes of the g.m.