The Philadelphia Phillies plan to “gracefully” dismiss interim manager Don Mattingly, USA Today reported Friday.
The move likely will be made next week, and Mattingly will be offered an opportunity to remain with the Phillies, per the report. His son, Preston, is the general manager and answers to Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations.
The Phillies finished the regular season at 88-74 and were eliminated from the playoffs on Thursday night, when they lost 6-2 to the Atlanta Braves and dropped the National League wild-card series in three games.
Mattingly, 65, joined the Phillies in January as the bench coach under manager Rob Thomson. The team was looking for someone with managerial experience, and Mattingly fit the description. He previously managed the Los Angeles Dodgers (2011-15) and the Miami Marlins (2016-22).
At the time, Mattingly said he wasn’t interested in managing again.
“I don’t think I have the energy for that anymore,” he said. ” … The managing side, for me, I feel like those days have passed me by. So I don’t have any aspirations to manage again.”
But on April 28, Thomson was fired after a 9-19 start, despite the team making four consecutive postseason appearances with him at the helm and promoted Mattingly to interim manager. Philadelphia was 10 1/2 games out of first place in the National League East at the time.
By July 18, the Phillies were just two games behind the Atlanta Braves with a 55-44 overall record, 46-25 under Mattingly. A 2-8 mark through the end of July put Philadelphia eight games back but still in wild-card position in the NL.
The Phillies held the lead in the wild-card chase for weeks this summer but a 10-14 record in September dropped them into the NL’s third wild-card spot and a road matchup to open the postseason against the NL East champion Braves.
