The end of baseball's regular season means the beginning of the managerial carousel. Coming into Wednesday, we'd already seen a number of managers either fired (Andy Green, Clint Hurdle, Brad Ausmus) or told they would be permitted to become a free agent (Joe Maddon). Factor in a couple of retirements (Bruce Bochy, Ned Yost), and at least six teams will have new managers when they take the field next spring.

It's possible that a seventh and/or eighth team joins the club, depending on what precisely the New York Mets do with Mickey Callaway and the Philadelphia Phillies with Gabe Kapler. Both skippers, it should be noted, just wrapped up their second seasons in charge.

Callaway, it seems, will learn his fate one way or another before Thursday:

While Callaway can take solace in a hot second half, there are some factors working against his continued employment. Foremost, he wasn't hired by current general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. There were reports that Van Wagenen was, at one point, calling in strategic decisions from his home during games. Even if those weren't correct, Callaway is gaffe prone and presumably irked Van Wagenen -- who made a number of high-profile analytical hires -- by waving off the importance of statistical analysis as it pertains to in-game management. 

As for Kapler -- well, he might be left in limbo for a bit longer. The Phillies may not make a call on his status until next week, according to Jayson Stark of The Athletic:

Wanting to take time and make the right decision is a reasonable stance. But the Phillies are inviting speculation and analysis here in a way that wouldn't seem favorable to Kapler. Perhaps the Phillies are trying to distance themselves from the regular season and avoid an emotional decision. At minimum, it raises the question: Should you retain a manager if you don't know how you feel about him after two full seasons on the gig?

Debate that as we await official word on both Callaway and Kapler.