Don Mattingly earned the right to stay in Philadelphia. What the Phillies do next will say a lot more about the franchise than the manager’s new deal.
The team’s two-year agreement with Mattingly removes the interim label and keeps him in place through 2028, a reward for the way he steadied a season that had spun off course under Rob Thomson. Mattingly took over after a 9-19 start and guided the Phillies to a 79-55 finish on his watch.
That rescue job mattered. But it also came with a warning attached.
Philadelphia still finished 88-74, then needed all 162 games to lock down the National League’s final Wild Card spot after a September slump. The Phillies then fell to the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card Series, another disappointing exit in a stretch that has now included five straight postseason trips. Their last World Series appearance came in 2022.
Dave Dombrowski reportedly pursued Alex Cora twice, including after the elimination. Both of those refusals came before this extension, and the Phillies are well within their rights to defend keeping Mattingly. What they can’t do is let the decision become an excuse to stand still.
At some point before 2027, Philadelphia should be ready to move at least one established everyday player if the return helps the team inside Mattingly’s window. Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber all need to be part of that evaluation, along with every other veteran on the roster.
Popularity shouldn’t buy anyone immunity. The front office has to balance projected production, defensive flexibility and the chance to redirect payroll, while also accounting for any contractual restrictions.
The goal is simple enough: turn some veteran certainty into younger players who can help right away and bring more speed and defensive range. If the Phillies keep leaning on familiarity instead of fit, they risk wasting another year. Adding one more complementary piece would not solve that problem if the underlying habit stays the same.
The offensive side needs a sharper reset, too. Philadelphia should bring in an outside hitting-program director to review instruction, recommend coaching changes and connect the approach from the minors all the way to the majors.
The September fade and the Wild Card loss deserve a hard look at preparation, lineup choices and how players were used. Those outcomes alone do not prove one specific offensive flaw, but they do demand scrutiny.
The Phillies should make batting-order spots and everyday roles dependent on matchup value and current form. They also need to tie big-league instruction to development priorities that reward swing decisions, base-running and situational execution.
Personnel changes without changes in how jobs are won would just keep the same assumptions in place. Philadelphia needs an offense that can adjust when an opponent knocks it off its preferred track.
There’s also the matter of Preston Mattingly, whose role as general manager needs clear limits when decisions involve his father. Dombrowski should handle managerial evaluations and coaching hires directly, while Preston should step aside from any call tied to Don Mattingly’s employment, pay or discipline. Ownership should also be ready to review major disputes and judge Dombrowski’s work against written standards.
That doesn’t mean there’s anything improper about the family connection. It does mean the rules should be explicit, for everyone’s sake. Clear boundaries would protect both Mattinglys and keep the Phillies from turning a baseball decision into a family issue.
Philadelphia gave Don Mattingly credit for saving the season. Now it has to prove it learned the right lesson from how the season got away in the first place.
The manager earned his chance. The organization still has work to do.
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Rafael Marchn Is Suddenly Playing For His Phillies Future
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Marchn has landed in a spot where his margin for error is thin, with the Phillies viewing him as a potential non-tender candidate going into the offseason. That makes what happens in winter ball and then again in spring training especially important, since the club could use both to help decide whether he fits into its plans moving forward. The job now is straightforward but demanding: keep showing enough behind the plate and at the plate to make the Phillies think twice. [Read more 🡒]