Phillies players excited for Pete Mackanin

MIAMI – Several of the Phillies took the field at Marlins Park early on Tuesday afternoon to get in extra work before their series opener. When they arrived back to the visitors clubhouse, they were met with some news.

Scott Proefrock, the Phillies interim general manager, addressed the room to notify the players that the team had extended the contract of interim manager Pete Mackanin through the 2016 season. Mackanin's interim tag was no more.

In interviews with players shortly afterward, the overwhelming sentiment shared was one of excitement for Mackanin. Below is a sampling of player reactions:

Ken Giles

"I think everybody is pretty excited to see him come back for next year. I think it's just a positive thing to go into the future. You want to keep the guys comfortable with what they have, and especially if the guys are playing better under him, you might as well bring him back (and) see what he can do for a full season."

Aaron Nola

"He's a good guy. He's funny. He's relaxed, man. It's been fun for me so far playing under him. I think a lot of guys are excited for it. I'm excited for it. To me, he's a good guy. He's a good manager, a good coach. He gives us a lot of pointers and a lot of good information."

Jerad Eickhoff

"I think it's great. Just the time I've been here, it's been a great experience. He does a great job getting us motivated every day. I think that's what everybody wants in a manager, and I think that's key."

Jeff Francoeur

"I'm excited for him. I mean, you talk about a guy who is in his third time as interim manager. I know we've struggled as of late here, but at the same time, the things we started in the second half and the way we played, I think that had to be a great sign for Andy (MacPhail) and them to evaluate. ... It's always nice to know who your manager is going to be. For free agents coming here, for guys like myself when you're talking about possibly coming back, you want to know who the manager is (and) feel comfortable with them. ... I'm happy for him. I think it would be hard to find a guy that wasn't happy for Pete getting this opportunity."

Cameron Rupp

"It gives us an idea of what we have next year. We're going to understand what he expects from us instead of going into spring training possibly not playing for a guy at some point. We'll have an idea of what he expects out of us. It's exciting. I'm happy for him."