It didn’t take the Philadelphia Phillies very long to figure out what they were doing with their managerial position this offseason.
They decided to bring back Don Mattingly, who was the interim manager after Rob Thomson was fired following a 9-19 start. The two sides agreed to a two-year contract, replacing the deal that was in place; Mattingly was under contract through 2027 as the team’s bench coach.
Avoiding that awkward situation and making Mattingly the full-time manager made sense. However, it wasn’t the only situation that could be perceived as awkward. This is the second time that Mattingly has been asked to manage the team, and the second time in which he wasn’t the first choice.
Both times, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski offered the job to Alex Cora, who was fired by the Boston Red Sox. In both instances, he declined, leaving the Phillies looking elsewhere.
Don Mattingly unfazed by Alex Cora pursuit
That could certainly create an awkward situation, but Mattingly has the perfect temperament to not be fazed by it.
“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.”
Given how much experience Mattingly has in baseball, it comes as no surprise that this is how he feels. He wants what is best for the organization, one that employs his son in a front office position, and if that meant going with another person as manager, so be it.
Along with Cora, Dombrowski also reportedly reached out to two former Phillies fan favorites: second baseman Chase Utley and outfielder Raul Ibanez. Both are currently employed by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and both politely declined the opportunity to manage in Philadelphia.
Now officially the team’s manager, Mattingly is confident that he can get the job done with an offseason and spring training to implement things in his vision.
“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.”
That process has already begun. The coaching staff has undergone a few changes, with hitting coach Kevin Long and infield coach Bobby Dickerson not being brought back.
One of those vacancies has already been filled, with former New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza being hired to take over infield duties. Improving defensively is one thing Mattingly is going to focus on after the team performed so poorly in the field in 2026.
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