A lot of news broke on the managerial front in Major League Baseball on Tuesday, September 22, as New York Mets interim manager Andy Green was awarded a three-year extension, and Boston Red Sox executives decided that manager Chad Tracy will also remain in Boston for upcoming seasons.
With those pieces of news, it draws question marks to what the Philadelphia Phillies will do with their interim manager, Don Mattingly, who has brought the team to within striking distance of a playoff berth after carrying the NL’s worst record in late April.
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Phillies to Decide on Don Mattingly’s Future After 2026 Season
Per president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies will decide on interim manager Don Mattingly’s future after the 2026 season.
Here’s what he told reporters, via MLBTR.com:
“[We] have felt it is better to wait until our season is complete,” said Dombrowski.
MLBTR.com’s Anthony Franco then wrote (about the Phillies managerial search):
“That’s not a huge surprise, as the Phillies announced in April that Mattingly was only locked into the job through the end of the season. He’s on a two-year contract with the organization that he signed over the winter to serve as Rob Thomson’s bench coach. Thomson was fired after they limped to a 9-19 start.”
With both the Mets and Red Sox jobs now secured, the Phillies stand out as the most attractive managerial landing spot by far, and the Phillies would be remiss not to at least interview some of the top candidates like Alex Cora.
Even if the Phillies decide to go a different way with their manager of the future, it’s plausible to think that Don Mattingly could stick around with the organization in some capacity, especially considering his son serves as the team’s general manager.
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What Should Phillies Do with Don Mattingly?
It’s reasonable to believe that Don Mattingly’s fate is resting on how the Phillies perform in the playoffs, if they are to advance that far.
The Phillies carried very high expectations this season, and although they have had a successful season (potentially a 90-win season), there are expectations to win in October in Philadelphia.
The Phillies are 78-51 since Mattingly took over as the interim manager… not bad. That is a 100-win pace in a full MLB season.
BR.com’s Zach Bachar recently wrote (about Mattingly’s career):
“The 65-year-old has previously operated as a manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins, compiling an 889-950 record across 12 years with both clubs. It appears as though Philadelphia’s postseason result will have an impact on Dombrowski’s final decision regarding Mattingly, as the Phillies currently hold the final National League Wild Card spot.”
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