Plenty of areas for improvement, Turner and the bullpen highest among them. Interesting that JT spoke to DD about potentially playing first some days.

everybody!

Here's what feels locked in, thus far:

C: Realmuto

IF: Harper, Turner, Stott

OF: Crawford

DH: Schwarber

They have 7 open spots. One has to be a backup catcher. Miller and Rincon would fill 2 - if they're ready (big if). Maybe Marsh stays. But really, you're looking at 4-5 new players coming in here. I would expect depth rather than a big move, like taking a bunch of swings (some on minor league deals) on injured/reclamation projects. It might not be pretty and there's a big potential for this to get real bad.

SP: Wheeler, Sanchez, Luzardo, Painter, Nola

RP: Duran, McFarlane, Bowlan, Killian, Mayza

This is much more settled. They have their 5 starters and 5 locked in relief pitchers. The big thing missing is a backend lefty. The other 2 spots are probably guys with options, maybe some kind of SP depth on an ML deal. You hate paying big for a reliever, but they almost don't have a choice - they need someone. Hello, Adrian Morejon.

The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to name Don Mattingly as their full-time manager, with the decision formalized sometime this week, according to several league and team sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss moves that haven’t been announced.

Mattingly, who led the team to a 79-55 record after assuming managerial duties in late April, had his interim tag expire almost two weeks ago when the Phillies were eliminated by the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card Series. He was under contract for the 2027 season as bench coach. Hiring Mattingly as manager marks a doubling down on the Phillies’ current vision after a near-historic September collapse and another postseason gone wrong.

It’s also a vote for familiarity; Mattingly is one of several recent prominent hires in which the Phillies have looked inward rather than conducting an external search. With an owner-imposed MLB work stoppage expected to begin Dec. 2, Mattingly at least knows the players after serving as the interim boss.

Now, after retaining Mattingly, the Phillies can focus on other priorities as they begin an unusual offseason.

Read for free: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7688238/2026/10/14/phillies-don-mattingly-manager-job/?unlocked_article_code=1.IlE.4Tbf.VU6ZeFW5zelu&source=emp_shared_article&smid=re-share-ta

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