Phillies expected to name Don Mattingly as full-time manager this week: Sources

[u/Admirable-Nebula-122]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7688238/2026/10/14/phillies-don-mattingly-manager-job/?source=athletic_user_shared_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta

[u/dryver]

Might as well re-sign all of the disappointing signings from last year because we're RUNNING IT BACK

[u/AerieElectrical3546 → u/dryver]

the Yankees special

[u/SiphenPrax → u/AerieElectrical3546]

These franchises love not wanting to rock the boat to ensure the owners have that sweet playoff revenue every year.

[u/ProjectHarraseeket → u/SiphenPrax]

The Boston Bruins figured this out in the late 70’s. Dont be good enough to beat Montreal, be good enough to beat Hartford and Québec in the playoffs, good enough for two rounds of gate revenue. The more time goes by, the more I think 2011 was an accident.

[u/maverickhawk99 → u/ProjectHarraseeket]

Did it again in the 80s, Bourque did an all time carry job in 88 and 90.

[u/ProjectHarraseeket → u/maverickhawk99]

There’s an article going around from around 1990 or so listing player salaries, Ray Bourque (and Cam Neely) were severely underpaid for that era. He should have been a Top 5 paid player at the minimum but he wasn’t even in the Top 25, think Ron Francis in Hartford was paid more than he was.

[u/iheartsunny → u/SiphenPrax]

Or you rock the boat like Stearns and get no playoff revenue

[u/OnlyForBaseball → u/iheartsunny]

So what you’re saying is the efficacy of rocking the boat is inconclusive

[u/BigInSheboyganGus → u/iheartsunny]

Did stearns rock the boat or did he throw out the boat and set sail in a Bentley sealed with flex tape?

[u/noruber35393546 → u/BigInSheboyganGus]

he let the lease on his yacht lapse and traded it for two stapled-together skateboards and said this is a better value

[u/White_Squall_13 → u/iheartsunny]

Everyone loses their interim status before the off season!!

[u/Heelincal → u/SiphenPrax]

The Phillies got playoff revenue this year? lol

[u/supergreekman123 → u/AerieElectrical3546]

The Yankees ran it back by beating BOS in the playoffs again.

[u/VinnyIsMyCousin → u/supergreekman123]

And forgetting what baseball fundamentals are

[u/LilDuck20 → u/supergreekman123]

Hang the banner! Yankees ran it back with 0 wins in October

[u/Beast_Modular → u/AerieElectrical3546]

HEY FU-yeah, yeah you’re right

[u/jackhole91 → u/AerieElectrical3546]

Rice, Schlittler, Lombard, Bellinger, Caballero, Fried, Warren, Bednar, Blackburn, Headrick and the list goes on from new players added in the last two years alone but keep pushing the same narratives. Guess they should’ve got rid of Judge, Cole and Rodon to change things up

You’d think the Red Sox would’ve been able to take advantage either of these last two years with how awful they apparently were

[u/SEPTAgoose → u/AerieElectrical3546]

Ouch

[u/Hummer77x → u/dryver]

Darkness rules the land, “I like our club” echoes smugly through the air

[u/mex036 → u/dryver]

Why stop there? I hear Odúbel Herrera is out there.

[u/EvanMG24 → u/mex036]

Can we get some Maikel Franco while we’re at it?

[u/Electronic-Minute007 → u/EvanMG24]

What’s Ben Revere up to these days?

[u/JKBFree → u/Electronic-Minute007]

Resign tony gwynn jr for the vibes

[u/shitass-69 → u/JKBFree]

César Hernández getting a phone call right now

[u/limprichard → u/dryver]

Works for us every year!

checks notes

Oh wait

[u/mythicalmrsnuzzi → u/dryver]

You can take the guy out of the Yankees, but can’t take the Yankees out of the guy 🤷🏼‍♀️

[u/Gabacool247 → u/dryver]

Been there done that

[u/Phunwithscissors → u/Gabacool247]

Then keep doing it

[u/Internal-Plantain-56 → u/Phunwithscissors]

I don’t think we have a choice tbh.

[u/Phunwithscissors → u/Internal-Plantain-56]

https://giphy.com/gifs/onvCUSVyM2Z2wrid9P

[u/SiphenPrax → u/dryver]

Hell yeah! This coming season (there will be a season) will surely be the Phillies’ year!

[u/BdaMann → u/dryver]

Running it back always works. Trust me.

[u/Swimming_Elk_3058]

I’m shocked that nobody else wants this job when Dombrowski has made it abundantly clear that he is only interested in hiring Alex Cora and anyone else would just be a stop gap until he is ready.

[u/FeloniousDrunk101 → u/Swimming_Elk_3058]

Why is anyone interested in Alex Cora though?

[u/OwnABMWImBetterThanU → u/FeloniousDrunk101]

DD is interested because he’s a geriatric and they worked together in Boston.

[u/Redbubble89 → u/FeloniousDrunk101]

Because Dave won a World Series with him in 2018.

[u/ProjectHarraseeket → u/Redbubble89]

If that doesn’t work out, 80 year old Jim Leyland is probably out there.

[u/Suitable_Elk6199 → u/ProjectHarraseeket]

Is he still out there?

[u/PostIronicPosadist → u/Suitable_Elk6199]

Still out there, still smoking.

[u/Notchedspecimen → u/Redbubble89]

You mean cheated to a world series win

[u/EstablishmentTop551 → u/FeloniousDrunk101]

Because they realize this team is cooked and they want to cheat. I cannot believe I am the only one saying this.

[u/Gabacool247 → u/Swimming_Elk_3058]

I wonder how interested Alex Cora will be another year into this set of aging contracts

[u/OnlyForBaseball]

Everyone talks about nepo babies, no one thinks about the nepo grandpas

[u/therabbidchimp → u/OnlyForBaseball]

The moment called for PHI to listen to checks notes an old white man?

[u/No-Iron-9511 → u/OnlyForBaseball]

I'd be thrilled to hire this grandpa instead of the two latest first time Pirates managers. Mattingly would be so much better than Shelton or Kelly.

[u/OnlyForBaseball → u/No-Iron-9511]

Don’t really understand the dislike of Kelly.

Shelton obviously had the stink of losing on him and was checked out, which is to be expected of a guy in his position. He seems fine on the Twins. I can’t think of much to hate (or love tbh) about Kelly unless you hate/love managers getting ejected

[u/guitarburst05 → u/No-Iron-9511]

Nah, Kelly's doing alright. He's just middle of the road manager material.

Thank fuck we're away from Shelton, though.

[u/Prize_Major6183]

Congratulations on the next 3 years of mediocrity Phillies fans 

[u/BoxesFullOfLemons → u/Prize_Major6183]

Optimistic to think it'll be only 3 with all the aging multi year contracts still on the books.

[u/Such-Fee6176 → u/BoxesFullOfLemons]

I just looked up some of those contracts. You could turn the Phillies into a retirement home team.

[u/BrinyKnight → u/Such-Fee6176]

We used to have the day care. Now all those guys are helping run the elder care facility.

[u/wolandjr → u/Such-Fee6176]

Citizens Bank Park is where the league sends old Washington Nationala to live out their days in peace

[u/MindoverMatter92 → u/wolandjr]

Senior Citizens Bank Park baby!

[u/fps916 → u/Such-Fee6176]

That's our title.

[u/Prize_Major6183 → u/BoxesFullOfLemons]

I figure the years after that will be bad. Losing records and irrelevant 

[u/KakeLin → u/BoxesFullOfLemons]

Especially trea

[u/XSC → u/Prize_Major6183]

Getting eliminated in the wildcard round is a success, hang the banner!

[u/eaglesnation11 → u/XSC]

It’s funny because we actually will get a banner to hang at the ballpark (It’ll be powder blue) just like in 2023.

[u/XSC → u/eaglesnation11]

So damn pathetic lol. Don’t forget the banner for only team to get to game 3 on the WC!

[u/oogieball → u/Prize_Major6183]

Well, we'll probably lose at least one of them to the labor stoppage when the owners try and force a cap next year.

[u/ZiiKiiF → u/Prize_Major6183]

Jokes on you. This is lining up perfectly for us to fire him mid 2028 and have 2 really good month with another interim manager and everyone gets tricked into thinking we’re good again

[u/DickBottalico]

Didn’t we learn this lesson when Joe Girardi fucked up the entire team in 2020?

Maybe in 2032 we can hire Joe Torre, dig up Don Zimmer’s grave in 2038, and hire 71-year-old Aaron Boone in 2044.

[u/oldcrowtheory → u/DickBottalico]

You can have Boone now if you want ...

[u/EagleswonSuperBowl52 → u/oldcrowtheory]

I know he’s grown sour on Yankees fans but Boone would be the best manager we’ve had since Charlie

[u/DickBottalico → u/oldcrowtheory]

Sorry only Bob Boone is allowed to work for this team until 2044 and then Bret can become GM too

[u/Internal-Plantain-56 → u/oldcrowtheory]

Seriously. He hit a home run 24 years ago!

Any takers? Anyone?

[u/guhguhguhguhguhH → u/DickBottalico]

Hey it worked for the White Sox when they threw LaRussa's corpse back in the dugout!

[u/fps916 → u/guhguhguhguhguhH]

Until he benched Yermin for having a good year for the first time in his career.

[u/deadhead1 → u/DickBottalico]

My uncle is a Yankee fan and spent that whole off season railing against the Mets for not signing Girardi and letting the Phillies get him and now they were gonna win a World Series. I greatly enjoyed the next couple years of poor Phillies baseball until he was fired and then immediately turned it around (I mean, wasn't so thrilled at that part but still).

[u/Gabacool247 → u/DickBottalico]

That’s what Rob Thompson was supposed to be lol

[u/addage- → u/DickBottalico]

Boonie already managing like a zombie, he is ahead of the curve.

[u/Waterfish3333 → u/DickBottalico]

Terry Francona will probably be available in the next couple years

[u/Emperor-Octavian → u/DickBottalico]

Great username

[u/DickBottalico → u/Emperor-Octavian]

the Phillies went 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position AND I AM VERY ANGRY ABOUT IT

[u/ThisHatRightHere → u/DickBottalico]

The funniest part is that in 2032 we might have finally moved off his core…

[u/regcrusher → u/DickBottalico]

Don't give him any ideas

[u/Hummer77x]

I am going to become the joker

[u/kirstynloftus → u/Hummer77x]

…at least we have the sixers?

(Lord knows they’ll somehow fuck it up too)

[u/R_Hunt → u/kirstynloftus]

At least the Sixers offseason did exactly what we wanted the Phillies to do

Although the Sixers problem was less running it back, moreso constantly shuffling new people to pair with Embiid

[u/kirstynloftus → u/R_Hunt]

They did get younger by swapping PG for brown, tbf! About the same contract/money-wise but way younger. And they finally fired the GM after several middling seasons. Phillies need to take a page out of that book.

[u/CosmicKidTheorist]

This is probably a bad idea.

[u/MammothFocus3915 → u/CosmicKidTheorist]

Its probably because the Phillies marketing and Twitter department have so many sideburns jokes lined up and you cant like just NOT run those

[u/jtrot91 → u/CosmicKidTheorist]

I disagree

[u/REUBENSACKLEBANKS]

[u/AgitatedLibrary1 → u/REUBENSACKLEBANKS]

I thought I told you to shave off those sideburns!

[u/another-smelly-hound]

Have we ever seen the Phillies and Yankees in the same room?

[u/bordomsdeadly → u/another-smelly-hound]

It’s been 17 years since anyone has

[u/MoreTrifeLife → u/bordomsdeadly]

The 2009 World Series was one of only seven times that it was a regular season rematch before the 2023 schedule change

May 22

May 23

May 24

[u/HowardBunnyColvin]

His son works in the front office, he was never going anywhere

[u/kmarx → u/HowardBunnyColvin]

"works in the front office" is a funny way to describe the General Manager

[u/Hummer77x → u/kmarx]

He’s the general manager in as much as King Charles is the ruler of England. Yeah he has the title but he’s not making these decisions.

[u/JinFuu → u/Hummer77x]

But imagine if he was Charles I and then you get a Phillies Oliver Cromwell who trades any of your players with Irish heritage

[u/richard_nixon → u/HowardBunnyColvin]

Him staying on as manager and losing the interim tag was certainly not fait accompli - it's pretty clear that if Cora had been willing to take the job, he would have been gone. Mattingly's son still reports to Dombrowski.

[u/T_Raycroft]

So the Phillies basically had no plan other than Alex Cora, and then when Cora said "Uh no thanks I'm just not going to manage this year" they just decided that the GM's dad would be good enough.

Gotta wonder how Rob Thomson feels about all of this. Fired because his team had 1 month of bad BABIP luck that proceeded to normalize over the rest of the season after he was fired, was constantly disrespected by a shit player in Castellanos, Dombrowski wanted to get back in bed with his old friend after he was fired 3 days before Thomson, and then the Phillies proceeded to settle for the GM's oldhead media darling dad. Thomson couldn't buy respect in Philly if it was free.

[u/Mehegan38 → u/T_Raycroft]

I feel you but Donnie is a lot more than the GMs dad. He has managed good teams in the past

[u/C0d3n4m3Duchess → u/Mehegan38]

Despite his best efforts

[u/Diced_and_Confused → u/C0d3n4m3Duchess]

Ouch. True, but ouch.

[u/maverickhawk99 → u/Mehegan38]

He has, but probably not a coincidence the Dodgers finally broke through after he was fired and replaced with Roberts.

[u/Emperor-Octavian → u/T_Raycroft]

I think you’re underselling the firing. It wasn’t that they normalized over the season, they immediately started winning.

Firing Rob was the right move. The boost to the team was from the firing itself, nothing that Don did. Keeping Don is a mistake

[u/emoryhotchkiss1]

Just 2 weeks ago they say they there is a mutual decision to not hire him. Now claims they want a familiar face during a lockout. Phillies must believe it’s gonna be a full year of lock out for-sure.

[u/Far-Cover-361 → u/emoryhotchkiss1]

Yeah, that turnaround is pretty noticeable. Two weeks is a pretty quick reversal.

[u/Domainsetter → u/Far-Cover-361]

Cora turned them down.

[u/new_wellness_center → u/emoryhotchkiss1]

Similar to Andy Green and the Mets.

[u/ItsCaptainKeyboard]

This is embarrassing, including for Mattingly. The club made no secret they didn’t want him back and were looking for a better option, got rebuffed by Cora again, and then said fine you can have it.

[u/Various_Knowledge226]

Is he really the best option available? It’s like Philly sports right now are trying to make you question everything they’re doing

[u/Either_Imagination_9 → u/Various_Knowledge226]

Maybe they’re all sacrificing themselves so the Sixers will win the finals

That’s what we did with NY teams after the Knicks won

[u/brownbearks → u/Either_Imagination_9]

Fine I’ll accept it but I’m not happy and will boo

[u/just_Okapi → u/Either_Imagination_9]

Ooh I like this.

[u/preptime → u/Various_Knowledge226]

Sirianni might be available soon

[u/Various_Knowledge226 → u/preptime]

Tocchet too, hopefully. Wouldn’t want either to coach another team afterwards though

[u/R_Hunt → u/Various_Knowledge226]

Tocchet's contract is twice as long as Mattingly's new contract. That's what I'm scared of

[u/maverickhawk99 → u/R_Hunt]

Yea Comcast is pretty short on money these days /s

[u/Actual_Cobbler_6334 → u/Various_Knowledge226]

The only other guy they wanted was Cora. They really didn’t try.

[u/ZiiKiiF → u/Various_Knowledge226]

Dombrowski wanted Cora. Cora said no. Dombrowski either panicked or said fuck it and brought back Mattingly.

Remarkably similar to the Bichette situation last year where he got out bid and said fuck it JT extension

[u/baseballviper04 → u/Various_Knowledge226]

I mean maybe not but your GM has out out the same team that’s done the same thing in yhe playoffs for the past, what, 5 years?

[u/--suburb-- → u/baseballviper04]

Also…the same GM happens to share a last name with Don Mattingly.

[u/DominicB547 → u/baseballviper04]

playoffs are easy when yo spend and don't think of 5 years from now. its the Dombrski special. He leaves this mess for another group.

[u/Techiesarethebomb → u/Various_Knowledge226]

Come on Philly sports aren't that bad right now, you got the fly...ers..ok ignore that one, but hey Jalen Hurts is a great QB and the Eagles should be....how did you lose to Jacksonville with 8 seconds remaining?

[u/BostonYankeesBB → u/Various_Knowledge226]

Pending lockout, I imagine it could be hard to get a new manager acclimated

[u/K31KT3]

The Phillies are in a tough spot and that has nothing to do with bringing Donny Baseball back 

[u/Clipbored_]

The run it back Yankees Phillies

[u/Confident_Range3376]

Well, that's a complete 180 from the "Mattingly's done if he doesn't win the World Series" reports from a week or so ago.

[u/ThrownAway17Years]

Sideburns and all?

[u/MorganN1]

I thought I told you to trim those sideburns

[u/No-Doctor-4396]

You know how that saying goes... if it's broken don't fix it. Right?

[u/throwawaycanadian2]

You really going to trust this to a man who wont get rid of his sideburns?

[u/Select_Excuse_150]

Phenomenal idea. Really sures things up around there. May want to adjust it to 5.

[u/Known_Upstairs_7807]

He’s got two relievers he won’t use warming up already

[u/Careless-Roof-8339]

This is the best news I’ve heard all week

[u/Techiesarethebomb → u/Careless-Roof-8339]

Agreed

[u/jorleeduf]

Oof. Not big on this. The players like him, but as someone who rarely questions managers because hindsight is 20/20, he had a lot of VERY questionable decisions in the moment that unsurprisingly didn’t work out

[u/BigInSheboyganGus]

RIP Ronald Acuña jr. He’s going to get thrown at 52 times just in Phillies games next year.

[u/A_N_T]

I like this hire if it makes Eagles fans mad

[u/radmobile2020]

Was a discarded cheesesteak not available?

[u/ThinkSoftware → u/radmobile2020]

I’ll thank you not to refer to John Kruk that way

[u/radmobile2020 → u/ThinkSoftware]

You’re just jealous that you don’t have a Kruk.

[u/Luis_Arraez_Fan]

Enough about nepo babies, it's time to talk about nepo parents

[u/Green-Cricket-8525]

How do I get paid to be bad at my job? 

[u/Engelbert-n-Ernie]

https://giphy.com/gifs/26n6Gx9moCgs1pUuk

[u/Arcader13]

It’s no longer sunny in Philadelphia.

[u/StillC5sdad]

Looks like the yankees can extend Boone now.

[u/RSN_Kabutops]

Finally some good news

[u/IAmAtWork_AMA → u/RSN_Kabutops]

Not if you're Ronald Acuña Jr.'s bones

[u/ExamNo4374 → u/IAmAtWork_AMA]

Just a few more pieces of armor should do 

[u/robmcolonna123]

I guess no one wants to manage a team with a bunch of aging expensive players, no depth, a bad farm, and an ownership group that seems to be getting strapped for cash and keeps selling off parts of the org to minority ownership groups.

If you can get a job literally elsewhere, why would you want to be the manager of a late stage Dombrowski team?

[u/Machomanta]

Congrats on the Division titles in the coming years, Atlanta!

[u/btwalker754 → u/Machomanta]

If you ask many Braves fans, the Marlins have a better chance than us if we dont replace half the team next year.

[u/Techiesarethebomb → u/btwalker754]

We don't win Division Titles. Only NL Championships and World Series.

[u/Lawlors-law]

Just a horrible mistake.

[u/Sir_Lord_Baltimore]

Hell yeah brother, cheers from Atlanta.

[u/FoppyIn28]

https://giphy.com/gifs/WxDZ77xhPXf3i

[u/GonzoTheGreat93]

He’ll finally get to keep his sideburns.

[u/maniacreturns]

Give John Olerud a chance God damnit!

[u/thatdamnhost]

Back by, erm, er.......

[u/Caledor152]

RUN IT BACK BABY LETS GOO

[u/parlcerkins]

Good choice!

[u/ViceS96]

https://giphy.com/gifs/SShJcu4ySty1G6MX9A

[u/invalid_bagel]

Im usually of the opinion that a manager doesn't really matter as much as people think, but what are we doing here?

This guy has a decade long reputation of being a kinda shitty manager including just this last season after the big boost early on. Would honestly rather they just retire rob Thompson at this point

[u/joern16]

Bring him home Hal, you spineless prick!

[u/all4whatnot]

Alec Bohm hitting cleanup!

[u/K20BB5 → u/all4whatnot]

Bohm is a FA

[u/Quartznonyx]

YAY

[u/Confident_Range3376 → u/Quartznonyx]

Even the opps know that this is a bad idea.

[u/pre-internet]

https://giphy.com/gifs/Z36diZTBOwJLG

[u/Callsign_Psycopath]

Great.... can't wait for him to have his pitchers bean Acuña

[u/StopScreamingItsFine → u/Callsign_Psycopath]

OBP machine go BRRRRR

[u/Jabary2]

Might as well kill myself

[u/Ferahgost]

had to check to make sure this wasn't from the Onion at first

[u/CabbageStockExchange]

😬 condolences Phillies bros

[u/MadRAGE1]

People on this sub really overrate what managers actually do 

[u/JoeSicko]

Really doubt they bring him back in a non-pre-strike year. That's gonna mess up a lot of plans.

[u/NinersUnitedFC]

Will he get fired after they get out to a slow start?

[u/Jonjon428]

Lmao why tho

[u/Captn_UnderPants]

I found it hilarious when Preston fired his dad, and it is even more hilarious that his top choice said no, so he has to circle back to his dad.

[u/cerealfordinneragain]

I love this news!

[u/see_mohn]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH

[u/SuperbDonut2112]

Tried absolutely nothing and out of ideas. Its not really surprising. Dombrowski is as known a quantity as there is and old as dirt. He ain't trying anything new or interesting. Its gonna get bad pretty soon and he, as usual, won't have to clean up the fucking mess he made.

All this made funnier by the fact that he's openly not even who the team WANTS to manage, Alex Cora just won't take the job.

[u/DannyDevitosNappy]

Well, at least I won't have to renew my MLB.tv sub this year.

[u/Techiesarethebomb]

lmfao, didn't y'all not want him several days ago? What is going on Phi????

[u/Flashy-Inspection501 → u/Techiesarethebomb]

Cora turned them down again so I guess they're just going "screw it". Not exactly a ton of promising candidates out there.

[u/Techiesarethebomb → u/Flashy-Inspection501]

Gotta wonder if the upcoming Lockout might play in their hand of holding off on making a true decision

[u/Flashy-Inspection501 → u/Techiesarethebomb]

I thought about that but what would be the point of removing the interim tag? I'm not exactly sure but is there a limit to how long you can be interim? lol

[u/Techiesarethebomb → u/Flashy-Inspection501]

I mean, the GM has to talk to his dad all year, be pretty awkward dancing around the whole "Yeah, you're still an interim dad...we aren't sure if we want to keep you", while notably searching for literally anyone else to replace him.

[u/Alectheawesome23 → u/Flashy-Inspection501]

You mean Carlos Mendoza isn’t a good candidate? Lol

[u/TinyTimWannabe]

Translation: no one else wants the job.

[u/Bobson-_Dugnutt2]

I don't understand this choice

[u/ay21690]

There’s gotta be someone out there? Right?

[u/Oldman_Dick]

Lol. Lmao even.

[u/Yakuza-Moto]

They just played themselves. Botched this entire search. 

[u/Worrywort____]

Mon Dattingly

[u/fubolconelduendeverd]

My god, if I have to watch him overwork the bullpen for 2 more years I will rip my own eyes out

[u/andrew-ge]

don mattingly in 2026 lmfao

dombrowski really is running his ultimate playbook

[u/RomeoBMcFlourish]

https://giphy.com/gifs/l2JdZKI8xZD8K3dnO

[u/PretzGod]

This isn't a surprise at all, right?

[u/PostIronicPosadist]

wat

[u/elliotnchester]

donny baseball deserves it. he should replace boone eventually