The Philadelphia Phillies are heading to the postseason for a fifth straight year, a massive achievement, yet they still don’t know who their manager will be for the 2027 season. That’s wild, especially considering the incredible run interim manager Don Mattingly has overseen since taking over.
The Mattingly Machine Rolls On (For Now)
Mattingly stepped into a total mess back in late April. The Phillies were stumbling hard at a brutal 9-19, which forced them to sack long-time manager Rob Thomson. Mattingly, at 65, took the interim reins, and what a turnaround he’s delivered! Under his watch, the team has soared to an impressive 78-51 record. You’d think that kind of sustained surge, propelling a squad almost certainly into the playoffs, would be an automatic permanent gig, right? But nope. Phillies president Dave Dombrowski just told the Philadelphia Inquirer they’re gonna wait until the season’s done before making any calls on 2027. This decision dropped on the same Tuesday that both the Mets and Red Sox said “adios, interim” to Andy Green and Chad Tracy, making their temporary managers permanent hires. Talk about a cold shoulder for Mattingly, who has clearly stated he wants the job!
The Shadow of Alex Cora
So, what’s really going on here? It seems like a big, looming question mark hangs over the situation, and that question mark’s name is Alex Cora. Turns out, the Phillies actually approached Cora about the manager job *before* they even elevated Mattingly. Dombrowski plainly has eyes for Cora, his former manager from their Red Sox days. The Red Sox themselves just parted ways with Cora days before Thomson got the boot in Philly, and the buzz is that Cora will be looking to get back into the managerial ranks after this season. This puts Mattingly in a seriously tough spot. His fate might entirely depend on how deep he can take the Phillies into October. If Mattingly somehow guides them to be one of the last two teams standing, he could practically force Dombrowski’s hand, couldn’t he? Mattingly’s no rookie, either; this is his 13th season managing in MLB, with stints with the Dodgers and Marlins, and he even won NL Manager of the Year in the abbreviated 2020 season. His overall record stands at 967-1,001 with four postseason appearances. That’s experience you just don’t ignore.
As the regular season winds down, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Don Mattingly and the Phillies. They’re on the cusp of a deep postseason run, but Mattingly’s own future hangs in the balance, all because of an executive’s past connection and an incoming free agent manager. It’s gonna be a wild October, not just for the team on the field, but for the guy calling the shots. Can Mattingly pull off a run so epic that Dombrowski has no choice but to keep him? We’re about to find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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