With no general manager yet, could the Phillies be waiting for Royals assistant?

New Phillies president Andy MacPhail only formally took the reigns of the Phillies last week.   But, plenty of decisions have been made, such as the firing of Ruben Amaro, Jr., called MacPhail's decision.  Plus, the Phillies have been interviewing prospective general managers to replace Amaro, even before MacPhail officially took over.  So, what is the hold up?

Here are the candidates interviewed, thus far:

1. Kim Ng, MLB executive
2. Matt Klentak, assistant general manager, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
3. J.J. Picollo, assistant general manager, Kansas City Royals
4. Matt Slater, director of player personnel, St. Louis Cardinals
5. Larry Beinfest, former general manager, Miami Marlins
6. Ross Atkins, vice president of player personnel, Cleveland Indians
7. One more unnamed executive

However, this morning, Bob Nightengale of USA Today believes there is a favorite:

The #Phillies still plan to interview six more candidates, for their GM opening but #Royals assistant GM J.J. Picollo is now heavy favorite

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 19, 2015

Buster Olney also cited an executive who felt that Picollo would be the candidate chosen.  Could this be the holdup?

The Kansas City Royals are currently up two games to none against the Toronto Blue Jays in the National League Championship Series.  The Phillies would not hire Picollo away until after the playoffs end or the Royals are eliminated, most likely.  Two wins away from going to the World Series, that could take a while.

MLB Trade Rumors reports that there are as many as six candidates to be considered for the position, too.   

Picollo is a Cherry Hill, New Jersey native.  As Marc Narducci wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer in 2010, Picollo was in the forefront of the Cherry Hill High School West baseball teams that went on an impressive run in the late 1980s.  For his efforts, he was inducted into the South Jersey Baseball Hall of Fame.