The Phillies’ path to a permanent manager apparently went through a name that never made it to the finish line.
Don Mattingly ended up getting the job full time after rescuing a season that opened in disaster, but Philadelphia also had real interest in Raul Ibanez, according to reporting from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Ibanez, who played for the Phillies from 2009-2011, is currently with the Dodgers as vice president of baseball development and special projects.
“The Phillies also had strong interest and spoke recently with Raul Ibanez, their outfielder in 2009-2011, about becoming their manager. He opted to stay in his job as vice president of baseball development and special projects for the Dodgers,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote.
That reported pursuit adds another layer to how the Phillies handled the aftermath of a brutal start last season. A month into the campaign, they had the worst record in baseball and were searching for anything that could stop the slide. The shakeup came when the club moved on from Rob Thomson and handed the dugout to Mattingly.
“There's a major shakeup in Philadelphia. The Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson on Tuesday morning. Don Mattingly is the interim skipper, with the team's press release saying he'll hold that position for the remainder of the 2026 season," MLB Trade Rumors' Anthony Franco wrote.
Mattingly’s impact was immediate. He steadied the group, got the locker room aligned, and helped push Philadelphia all the way to the postseason. That run earned him a new deal.
“Don Mattingly, who guided the Philadelphia Phillies to the postseason after taking over as interim manager just 28 games into the season, will return as the team's manager after signing a two-year deal, it was announced Wednesday,” ESPN wrote.
Even with Mattingly back in place, the Ibanez reporting suggests the Phillies were looking beyond one option before settling on their choice. The team also seemed interested in keeping Mattingly around in some capacity on the coaching staff, though not necessarily as manager. If next season starts slowly, the early patience of the organization will be something to watch, especially with Ibanez having been in the mix.
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