Former big league outfielder Raul Ibanez, who played for the Yankees during the 2012 season, received “significant interest from the Phillies about being their next manager, but he opted to stay in his job as vice president of baseball development and special projects for the Los Angeles Dodgers,” tweeted Bob Nightengale on X at 12:48 PM E.T. this afternoon. The Phillies instead re-signed interim manager Don Mattingly to a two-year contract, which Phillies Beat Writer Matt Gelb of The Athletic first reported.
Ibanez Strong 19 Year Big League Career
Ibanez (age 54) had a big league career that spanned 19 years (1996-2014) in which he played for five different organizations (Mariners, Royals, Phillies, Yankees, Angels), and he finished his career with a lifetime .272 batting average with 305 home runs and an .801 OPS in 7,471 plate appearances. Ibanez played in over 2,100 games and amassed 2,034 career hits in the big leagues. Ibanez played for the Phillies from 2009 to 2011. Ironically, Ibanez faced the Yankees in the 2009 World Series, which the Yankees won in six games.
Ibanez had a strong 2009 campaign in Philadelphia, hitting 34 home runs and driving in 93 runs as the Phillies sought back-to-back championships after winning the previous year. In the 2009 postseason, Ibanez hit for a .245 batting average with 6 home runs, 22 RBIs, and 15 runs scored, according to StatMuse. In the 2009 World Series specifically, Ibanez was one of the better hitters. He hit .304 in the 2009 World Series, with 4 doubles, 1 home run, and 4 RBIs in 23 plate appearances, according to Baseball Almanac.
Ibanez then left Philadelphia in 2011 for New York, where the then-39-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Yankees for the 2012 season. In 130 games, Ibanez hit 19 home runs with a .761 OPS. Fans might remember his game-tying pinch-hit home run in game three of the 2012 ALDS against Orioles closer Jim Johnson. The Yankees went on to win that series in five games, but then lost the following series (ALCS) to the Detroit Tigers in a four-game sweep.
Ibanez Decides To Stay In His Current Role
Ibanez remains in his current role as the Dodgers look for their first three-peat since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees. They face the Brewers tonight in game three in Los Angeles, but the Brewers have a commanding 2-0 series lead after taking the first two games in Milwaukee. It’s unclear whether Ibanez will manage in the foreseeable future. Still, one thing is certain: the Phillies have shown strong interest in making that happen, and if not now, maybe later, or with another organization.
Ibanez has had a strong major league career as a player with several well-respected big-league organizations, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the Phillies weren’t the only team interested in his potential managerial services now and down the road. For now, Ibanez seems happy and content with where he is, but as more managerial openings happen throughout baseball in the coming years, it will certainly be something to keep an eye on.
Former Yankees’ Outfielder Declines Phillies Managerial Job