Matt Klentak Talks Phillies' Start, Roster, MLB Draft & More

Matt Klentak's first season as Phillies general manager is off to a nice start.

His club is fun to watch.

In Year 2 of the rebuild, the young Phillies play with spunk and confidence.

They're 21-15 through mid May and have shown a moxie playing in high-pressured situations, winning a league-most 13 one-run games.

Klentak likes what he sees, but knows this is just the beginning.

Before the Phillies opened a nine-game homestand Friday night with a 3-2 win over the Reds, Klentak discussed a variety of topics, including the 2016 MLB draft, Tommy Joseph, Pete Mackanin, the current team and more.

Here's what he had to say:

Q. The way [Tommy] Joseph was hitting in Triple A, does he warrant a longer look [at first base] because of the production you guys have gotten there?

A. We make the move, [so] we're not planning to send him back at any point. Much like any player, his performance up here will dictate how often he plays, how long he stays, things like that. But Tommy earned this. He really did, for a guy who had had a lot of adversity in his career. I think this is just a testament to how hard he has worked and really to our whole player development group that has stuck with him. For him to reach the big leagues (Friday), I think it's pretty special.

Q. As far as a leash goes, what would it be compared to Darin Ruf's for this first month?

A. We'll see. We'll see. Pete, as I've said all along, Pete is responsible for making out the lineup and it's no secret, we're looking for an offensive jolt. And if Tommy can provide that, he'll work his way into the lineup.

Q. What made [Thursday] the day that you felt it was time to call him up?

A. We just felt like it was time to make a switch. We're coming off a road trip looking for some offensive production. And Tommy has earned it. I think that's the most important thing.

Q. What was the case for Tommy this winter when you were going through the rosters?

A. Honestly, that week was a whirlwind for me, I was learning about a lot of players. I had known Tommy Joseph as a prospect even when he was with the Giants. He was a pretty well-known name in prospect circles, so I was aware of him, aware that he came off the roster (in the fall), and I was aware of some of the concussion issues he had had. I think, maybe more than anything, there was support from Tommy in his character and makeup and his resiliency. When you have players like that, they are players you want to stand by if you can. Again, make no mistake. Tommy is the one who deserves the credit here for overcoming the adversity. And producing at such a clip that a day like this is possible. But there are a lot of people in our organization who were complimentary of his work ethic.

Q. What has stood out over the first six weeks?

A. I think our pitching and defense has been really solid. I don't think that's a secret. Our record is largely driven by our run prevention efforts, but I think it's important to recognize, too, that strong organizations, really in any sports, adjust to the style of their personnel and I think that's something that Pete and our coaching staff have done remarkably well. Which is, we are not blind to the lack of production that we're getting at certain spots on the field. We're not blind to the fact that our overall run differential this year is negative. We know those things just the same way you guys do and our fans do. What I credit Pete for doing is recognizing it and continuing to put out the best lineup and the best team that he can, on the field, based on the strengths of this club. To date, the Phillies have been rewarded for it.

Q. You mentioned the run differential and that you're not blind to the fact that there are some positions that aren't producing. Do you expect any other moves?

A. No other moves imminent at this point. And I just want to clarify my previous point, it's lack of offensive production. That's where I credit Pete in recognizing the defensive production and making sure that we accentuate that. And really appreciate that and not be driven to make a move just for the sake of making a move. I say all that, if we have players that can contribute on both sides of the ball, we will give them a chance. That's what we're looking for. And we're hoping Tommy can provide a spark.

Q. How long can the winning continue with the lack of offense?

A. Hopefully all year long. We'll see. The seasons ebb and flow. Even teams that win the World Series, they're going to go through stretches where they're pitching better, where they're hitting better, struggling defensively … whatever the case might be. I don't know why the 2016 Phillies would be any different than that. We're going to have times where we're swinging the bat better and swinging the bat worse. We'll stick with the personnel that we believe are helping us in that moment and try the best we can to put the best 25 out there on a nightly basis that we can.

Q. Are 35 games a good sample size?

A. Yeah, it's the largest sample I've had to work with since I've been here. I think a lot of people, a lot of really good baseball people will talk about 'the quarter pole,' somewhere in the 40-game neighborhood. We're a week away from that and I don't know that a lot is going to radically change in the next week. I don't know what our record will be after 40 games versus 35. But I think … we can start to see some; we're able to see some things that have taken place in the first six weeks that are positive. And some things that are not. But I think we have a pretty good sense in the way this team is shaping up.

Q. Is Mackanin's minor-league managing experience an advantage?

A. I'm certain that it helps. I've never managed a baseball team but I do know that when in whatever role a person finds him or herself, knowing that they're superior can relate to what they're going through, it's always helpful. So to your point, when you do have a team of young players who may not be too far removed from the bus rides in the minor leagues, to have a manager who appreciates what they're going through at the major-league level, my guess is that can only help. Pete has open communication with all of his players and my sense is that the players really like that.

Q. Any reservation in bringing up Tommy Joseph because of his defense?

A. We've been monitoring Tommy all year at first base. It's new to him, so it's going to take him a little while to get used to that. When you've been catching your whole life and make a move to first base, there's going to be a natural adjustment period. We feel like right now, it was worth taking the shot to see if we can inject some offense into our lineup.

Q. Have you been surprised at how reliable the bullpen's been?

A. They've been terrific. In baseball history, and it's been the case for the Phillies, it's the case for every team, bullpens tend to be erratic year after year. At the beginning of the year, and you guys know this, you were all around spring training at various points, we brought a lot of pitchers into spring training. Some of them have really achieved at the big-league level, some of them at the minors leagues and some of them aren't in the organization anymore. We're not always smart enough to know exactly who's going to perform and who's not. But I think, yeah, what some of these guys have done the first six weeks of the year really has been incredible. They've done an excellent job.

Q. Is it a fun to watch the rotation, the young guys grow in the majors?

A. I think that all kind of has to do with building a culture. I talked about this even back in the offseason, Pete has talked about it a lot. We can't force culture to develop, but when it starts to develop, we can do our best to let it happen. And that's what's happening right now. It's a young team, they're playing hard, they believe every night that they can compete - most nights we do compete. And the players are being allowed some freedom to go out and play confidently and play loose, and that was part of our goal for this year.

Q. How's the draft prep going?

A. It's going. We're going to have meetings this coming week with all of our area scouts flying in to present their territory. Then we'll break again, go get some more looks at some of the players, then we'll come together again in 10 days or so leading up to the draft. As far as the first pick is concerned, we've started to narrow our focus a little bit down to a more manageable number of players. But still have almost a month to go and plan to use every bit of it before we make our final decision.