Don Mattingly isn’t spending any time fretting over how the Phillies landed on him.
Philadelphia moved quickly this offseason to settle its managerial situation, bringing back Mattingly on a two-year deal after he served as the interim manager when Rob Thomson was fired following a 9-19 start. The new agreement replaces the one he had as bench coach, which ran through 2027, and gives the Phillies a clear direction heading into the winter.
There is one wrinkle, though, and it’s the kind that could make things uncomfortable in a lot of clubhouses. This is the second time Mattingly has taken over the job, and in both cases he was not the team’s first choice. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski offered the position to Alex Cora each time, and each time Cora turned it down after being fired by the Boston Red Sox.
Mattingly, though, didn’t see any slight in that process.
“I never felt slighted,” Mattingly said, via Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic (subscription required). “My relationship with Dave, starting last winter when we talked, I think he knew where I stood.
I really come from a place that I want the best for the Phillies. … I wanted the best for the organization, so if Dave thought that (choosing another manager) was the best moving forward, then I was going to be good with that.”
That response fits the reputation Mattingly has built over a long baseball career. He’s focused on the organization, and that includes the fact that his son works in the Phillies’ front office. If Dombrowski had believed another manager was the better fit, Mattingly was prepared to accept it.
Cora wasn’t the only name Dombrowski explored. The Phillies also reportedly checked in on two former fan favorites, second baseman Chase Utley and outfielder Raul Ibanez. Both are now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and both declined the chance to manage in Philadelphia.
Now that the job is officially his, Mattingly is looking ahead to the part he can control: making the most of a full offseason and spring training.
“I have a lot of confidence in myself. I don’t talk like that, but I know how I handle the club, how I do things.
I’m confident in the way I go about my business - it’s probably not always perfect, but I’m pretty confident. I don’t have the ego that says I have to be whatever.
I just don’t need it. I was a 19th-round pick.
I got passed over by a lot of guys before they drafted me. So there were a lot of players that I was behind.
You’ve just got to keep going out and showing what you can do. To me, just stay humble, keep working and keep worrying about winning games.”
The work has already started on the staff around him. The Phillies are making changes to their coaching group, with hitting coach Kevin Long and infield coach Bobby Dickerson not returning. Carlos Mendoza, the former New York Mets manager, has already been hired to handle infield duties.
And one of Mattingly’s priorities is already clear: defense. He’ll be pushing to clean up a group that struggled badly in the field in 2026.
In Other News...
Phillies May Have Pulled Off Another Pitching Bargain With Jess Luzardo
Jess Luzardos arrival in Philadelphia already looks like the kind of move that can age well for a contender. The Phillies landed him in a trade that sent Emaarion Boyd and Starlyn Caba the other way, then committed even further by extending him on a five-year, $135 million deal that begins in 2027 and includes a sixth-year team option. For a club that has not been shy about investing in pitching, Luzardo fits the profile of a buy-now, pay-later arm with real upside.
The early return has only sharpened that impression. Luzardo was strong in 2026, posting a 2.86 ERA over 179.2 innings and giving the Phillies the kind of stability they value deep into a season. Inside the organization, there is also a sense that their coaching staff helped unlock more of what he could become, which only raises the possibility that Philadelphia may have found another pitching bargain before the market fully caught up. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Face A Costly Jhoan Duran Decision Sooner Than Expected
Jhoan Duran has already become the kind of late-inning arm a contender can build around, and for the Phillies that comes with an uncomfortable reality. He has only one year of team control left before reaching free agency after the 2027 season, which means a pitcher who has quickly established himself as the clubs closer may be headed toward a big-money conversation sooner than expected. Around the league, recent deals for elite relievers like Edwin Daz and Josh Hader have reset the market, and Duran is now in the conversation for that same tier of long-term value.
Philadelphia has not announced any extension, but the stakes are clear enough for a front office that has shown a willingness to spend when it believes the fit is right. A record-setting relief contract is at least a possibility if the Phillies decide Duran is worth locking up beyond his current window, though the shape of any future deal could be influenced by the upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotiations. For now, the question is not whether Duran matters to the Phillies, but how expensive it will be to keep him at the back of the bullpen. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Bullpen Is Taking Shape But One Need Still Looms
The Phillies have already made one major move this offseason by bringing in Don Mattingly on a two-year contract, and now the attention is turning to the relief corps. Team president Dave Dombrowski has said he feels good about several of the pitchers already in place, which gives Philadelphia a useful base as it tries to sort out the late innings and build a bullpen that can hold up over a long season.
Left-handed relief, though, remains the obvious gap. Philadelphia is looking at a range of free-agent options, even as the market carries extra uncertainty because of the possibility of a lockout. For a club trying to sharpen its roster before spring, the bullpen picture is improving, but one key piece still has to be found. [Read more 🡒]