FORT MYERS, FL - FEBRUARY 20: Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, left, and manager Alex Cora watch batting practice during a spring training workout in Fort Myers, Florida on February 20, 2019. (Staff Photo By Christopher Evans/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
MediaNews Group via Getty Images
The Philadelphia Phillies responded to a disappointing start to their season with a significant change, though it might not have been the move that many fans were expecting.
On Tuesday, news surfaced that the team had fired manager Rob Thomson just before a series against the San Francisco Giants began. And the announcement included a clear decision on the tenure for the interim skipper, New York Yankees’ former infielder Don Mattingly.
“The Phillies have relieved Rob Thomson of his duties as manager today,” the team announced in a press release shared on X. “Bench coach Don Mattingly has been named interim manager through the end of the 2026 season.”
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Though many might have already expected the team to promote Mattingly, who has plenty of experience as both a star player and big-league manager, the team’s announcement that he will hold the manager’s job for the rest of the season was notable.
After the Boston Red Sox surprisingly cut ties with manager Alex Cora earlier this season, speculation was growing that the Phillies would bring Cora in as Thomson’s replacement this year. Observers noted that Phillies executive Dave Dombrowski won a World Series title with Cora in Boston in 2018 and that his sudden availability could push a move to the Phillies in the middle of the season.
“The most likely landing spot for Alex Cora is the Phillies due to the fact Dave Dombrowski and Alex won that 2018 World Championship together and both have promoted the other as future Hall of Famers,” The Athletic’s Jim Bowden wrote on Saturday. “The mutual respect is special.”
And, indeed, shortly after news surfaced that the Phillies had fired Thomson, reports indicated that the team had tried to convince Cora to join, though he rebuffed Dombrowski’s offer.
“Alex Cora was offered the Philadelphia Phillies’ managerial job before Don Mattingly, but declined,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported. “He has decided to spend time with his family.”
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However, that announcement by the team isn’t likely to put a stop to speculation about the fit between the former Red Sox skipper and the Phillies going forward. And fueling that speculation is a sense that Mattingly isn’t particularly interested in holding onto the manager’s role for very long.
“...I just don’t think Mattingly wants that job,” WIP-FM’s Jack Fritz wrote shortly after the announcement. “(I) wouldn’t be surprised if this is a short-term fix while they interview Cora.”
The Phillies will be under more scrutiny than ever with Mattingly taking over and a season still in crisis. But even as observers draw their instant conclusions about the new manager, the team has already indicated its commitment to him for the rest of the ongoing campaign.
However, it seems that whenever the Phillies’ year does end, more change could be coming.
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