PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies announced the hiring of infield coach Bobby Dickerson on Monday as the club continues to round out its 2022 coaching staff. The move comes less than two weeks after Philadelphia named Kevin Long its new hitting coach.
The 56-year-old Dickerson served in the same role with the Phillies in 2019 before spending the last two seasons with the Padres. He was San Diego’s bench coach in ’20, and in '21, he also took on third-base coaching duties.
“Bobby was highly recommended by our players who worked with him in 2019 -- they loved him,” said Phillies manager Joe Girardi, who took over at the helm prior to the 2020 season. “I saw firsthand the impact he had on the Orioles’ defense all those years, and I believe he will be a huge addition to our staff.”
Girardi was referencing Dickerson’s time in Baltimore, where he spent 14 years over two stints prior to his first go-around in Philadelphia. Dickerson worked in the Orioles’ player development system from 1993-97 and 2010-12 before serving as the club’s third-base coach from 2013-18. He crossed paths with Girardi plenty during that time, when Girardi managed the American League East rival Yankees from 2008-17.
Dickerson takes over from former infield coach Juan Castro, who was dismissed along with hitting coach Joe Dillon prior to the Phillies’ regular-season finale.
The shakeup comes on the heels of a rocky defensive showing in 2021. Philadelphia’s infield ranked 26th in the Majors with minus-16 Outs Above Average, according to Statcast. Didi Gregorius ranked last among 36 qualified shortstops with minus-18 OAA. Third baseman Alec Bohm, meanwhile, accounted for minus-13 Defensive Runs Saved, tied for the worst mark among 46 players to log at least 300 innings at the hot corner.
Dickerson will attempt to right the ship, though it should be noted that Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has said that both Bohm and Gregorius will have to earn their jobs in 2022. It’s possible the club looks for external solutions, especially at shortstop, though Dombrowski has also mentioned that Bryson Stott, who is ranked the No. 97 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline, could be promoted sometime next season.