Phillies Make Major Offseason Addition

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Phillies have signed Don Mattingly to a new two-year contract as their manager, they announced Wednesday morning, marking the first major move of an offseason following a disappointing early exit from the playoffs.

Mattingly turned the Phillies 2026 season around. When he took over on April 28, they were 9-19 and shared the worst record in the National League. From that point forward, they went 79-55 to the end of the season, a 96-win pace that was fourth best in all of baseball. The manager is often the simplest scapegoat for a team falling short of its goals, but it's hard to imagine what more Mattingly could have done.

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Rumors have swirled for weeks following the Phillies loss in the Wild Card round regarding their future leadership and personnel. While many believed that Phillies president Dave Dombrowski wanted Alex Cora for the job, his former manager in Boston, he never got the chance, as Cora said he was not returning to baseball this year.

Numerous media reports confidently indicated, following the Phillies elimination from the playoffs, that Mattingly was gone. It's the first among many largely baseless rumors about drastic changes within the organization that will likely prove false.

The Phillies, for instance, are not considering trading any of their stars, no matter the howling bloodlust for cosmetic changes. The Phillies are committed to winning immediately and continuously, as they have for the past five years, and making the team different for the sake of being different will not get them any closer to that goal.

But while Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and baseball's best starting pitching staff will all return next year, the team will need to make some significant moves this winter to fill out the remainder of their lineup. They have several players hitting free agency including Alec Bohm, Luis Arraez, Edmundo Sosa, and Adolis Garcia. They have holes in their starting lineup in at least at two positions.

Mattingly was widely admired in the clubhouse and received praise from players and team leadership throughout the year. Mattingly's son, Preston, is the Phillies general manager.

Mattingly and Phillies leadership will speak to the media on Thursday morning, but were not available early Wednesday.

Mattingly, a borderline Hall of Fame player with the New York Yankees, won National League manager of the year with the Miami Marlins in 2020. He was named Rob Thomson's bench coach ahead of the 2026 season before taking over for him as the the 57th manager in Phillies history.