Don Mattingly was Phillies' top choice for manager, Dombrowski says
Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski spoke at his end-of-season press conference Thursday morning, just one day after naming Don Mattingly the full-time manager.
Mattingly will stay on as the team's manager for at least the next two seasons, dropping his "interim" tag, the team announced Wednesday. He took over for Rob Thomson, who was fired in April when the team got off to a 9-19 start.
Under Mattingly, the Phils went 79-55 and made their fifth-straight postseason appearance. The Phillies were ultimately eliminated by the Atlanta Braves in the National League Wild Card Series.
Dombrowski said Mattingly was offered the full-time manager role just days after the Phillies were eliminated. The team delayed the announcement because the Eagles were playing that weekend and Mattingly had a family trip.
Mattingly agreed to a two-year deal and was officially named manager Wednesday.
Dombrowski emphasized that Mattingly was a leading candidate for the position and the first person offered the role.
Dombrowski acknowledged the disappointing postseason and already promising changes.
Dombrowski announced the team has hired former Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, who will serve as the team's infield and third-base coach.
The Mets hired Mendoza ahead of the 2024 season. He only made the playoffs once as the Mets manager, when the team defeated the Thomson-led Phillies in the 2024 NLDS.
The 46-year-old was dismissed from the Mets halfway through the 2026 season after a disastrous start, which included a 12-game losing streak in April.
The Phillies also reportedly parted ways with hitting coach Kevin Long and infield coach Bobby Dickerson.
