The Philadelphia Phillies just made a big move to shore up their infield defense, bringing in former New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza as their new infield and third base coach under newly minted full-time manager Don Mattingly. This announcement came directly from Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, and it’s a huge signal about what’s bothering them as they look to the future.
Mendoza Joins the Staff to Tackle Infield Woes
Mendoza is stepping into a pivotal role, especially when you look at how things shook out for the Phillies’ infield this year. It was a serious problem, and a big part of that was Trea Turner’s decline at shortstop. Think about it: this guy was one of MLB’s best defensive shortstops in 2025. Then this season, he posted a minus-eight outs above average, which tied him for 16th out of 19 qualified shortstops. That’s a massive drop! And if that wasn’t bad enough, Turner had the worst offensive season of his career, with a paltry .242/.297/.378 slash line in 157 games. Oh, and he’s owed $27.3 million every single year through the 2033 season. That’s a lot of cheddar for that kind of production, and it’s clear why they’re bringing in a guy like Mendoza.
Mendoza’s got a pretty interesting track record himself. He managed the Mets for three seasons, from 2024 to ’26, getting fired midway through this season after a rough 34-47 start. But don’t sleep on his overall record: a solid 206-199. Plus, in his first year, the Mets actually made the playoffs, going all the way to the NLCS before getting bounced by the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. So, the guy knows how to get a team to perform. Anthony Contreras, who was the third-base coach this season, is expected to stick around in a different role, which shows they’re committed to keeping good baseball minds in the building.
Mattingly’s Turnaround and the Road Ahead
This coaching shuffle comes after a season that was wild for Philadelphia. Rob Thomson got fired on April 28 after a brutal 9-19 start to 2026. He left with 355 career wins, which is 10th-most in franchise history, but sometimes you just need a change. That’s when Mattingly stepped in, and what a rebound it was! The team went 79-55 under him and clinched a playoff berth. Seriously, that’s a dramatic turnaround from what looked like a complete fall apart after four straight playoff appearances. Turns out Mattingly was actually ready to retire before his son, Preston Mattingly, who’s the Phillies general manager, talked him into taking the job. Talk about family connections making big moves!
But let’s be real, Mattingly and his new staff are in a tricky spot. The Phillies started 2026 with the third-oldest group of position players by average age. It’s awesome that Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber are still absolutely raking, but some other guys are definitely on the wrong side of that aging curve. We’re talking about Turner, J.T. Realmuto, and Alec Bohm, who are all below-average hitters by OPS+. The rotation’s gonna need some work too, with Aaron Nola having another tough year after a rough 2025. Zack Wheeler is still dominant, but he’s gonna be 37 in May and is in the final year of his deal. Their farm system has some high-impact potential at the very top with guys like Andrew Painter, whose improvement after the All-Star break is a great sign. Aidan Miller was limited to just four games due to a back injury this year but crushed it in the minors in 2025. Justin Crawford even made the 26-man roster out of what they called “spring training” but struggled in his first taste of MLB pitching. It’s definitely a situation that could turn into a full-blown rebuilding effort sooner than later, but the fact that they bounced back so hard this season means the bottom hasn’t totally fallen out.
Mattingly and Mendoza have their work cut out for them, heading into what looks like a make-or-break 2027 for a team that showed it could rebound, but is staring down some serious age and contract questions. Can they defy the “rebuilding” talk and keep this group competitive? We’ll be watching to see how this all shakes out when they hit the field next year.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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