Mattingly signs 2-year deal to stay on as Phillies manager — SkimNews
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- Don Mattingly signed a two-year contract to remain as Phillies manager, announced Wednesday, after going 79-55 as interim manager following Rob Thomson's firing in April.
- Mattingly clinched a National League wild-card berth in the final game of the regular season despite a four-game losing streak to end the year, then forced a decisive Game 3 against the Atlanta Braves before a 6-2 elimination loss.
- Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies were rebuffed twice by former Red Sox manager Alex Cora — once when Thomson was fired and again after the season ended — leaving Mattingly as the option in both cases.
- Mattingly was one of three 2025 interim managers who had the interim tag removed, joining Andy Green of the New York Mets and Chad Tracy of the Boston Red Sox.
- The Phillies' roster carries significant offseason questions: an aging lineup anchored by Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner, with Alec Bohm, Luis Arraez and Jose Alvarado among those entering free agency, and right field again unsettled with Harper likely shifting to first base.
- Mattingly's career resume includes managing the Dodgers from 2011 to 2015, the Marlins from 2016 to 2022 — earning NL Manager of the Year in 2020 — and an overall managerial record of 968-1,005 with five playoff appearances.
- The Phillies' core of Harper, Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola has made five straight playoff appearances averaging 91 wins per year but has not won a championship, being eliminated further from a title each season since the 2022 World Series.
Why it matters: The Phillies lock in continuity after being turned down by Cora twice, but the decision comes with mounting pressure: a five-time playoff core averaging 91 wins has not advanced past the NLCS since 2022, and an aging lineup plus a wave of pending free agents forces Dombrowski to address right field, the bullpen and infield depth simultaneously before Dombrowski and Mattingly address reporters Thursday.
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