Don Mattingly saved the Philadelphia Phillies from a lost season, and retaining him through 2028 was the right decision. Now Dave Dombrowski must ensure that rewarding Mattingly does not become an excuse to preserve a team that keeps falling short.
Wednesday’s two-year agreement removes Mattingly’s interim designation through 2028. He earned that consideration by going 79-55 after replacing Rob Thomson following a 9-19 start.
However, Philadelphia finished 88-74 and needed all 162 games to secure the National League's final Wild Card spot following a September slump. The Phillies ultimately fell to the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card Series, extending their championship drought despite five consecutive postseason appearances. Their last World Series appearance came in 2022.
Dombrowski reportedly pursued Alex Cora twice, including after elimination. Both refusals preceded this extension. The Phillies can defend retaining Mattingly. They cannot use his return to justify organizational inertia.
Put the veteran core on the market
The Phillies should enter trade discussions prepared to move at least one established everyday player before 2027, provided the return improves their chances within Mattingly’s window.
Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber deserve serious evaluations alongside every other veteran. Popularity cannot guarantee immunity. Philadelphia should weigh projected production, defensive flexibility and the value of reallocating payroll, while accounting for whatever contractual restrictions apply.
The objective should be a meaningful exchange of veteran certainty for younger players capable of contributing immediately, with more speed and defensive range. The Phillies risk wasting another year if familiarity keeps outweighing roster fit. Another complementary addition would leave that decision-making habit intact.
End automatic lineup privileges
Philadelphia should hire an outside hitting-program director to audit instruction, recommend coaching changes and coordinate offensive preparation from the minors through the majors.
The Phillies’ September trouble and Wild Card exit demand scrutiny of preparation, lineup choices and player deployment. Those results alone cannot establish a particular offensive flaw.
Still, the Phillies should make batting-order positions and everyday assignments contingent on matchup value and current performance. The Phillies should connect major league instruction with development priorities that reward swing decisions, base-running and situational execution.
Changing personnel without changing how players earn opportunities would merely reproduce the same assumptions. The Phillies need an offense capable of adjusting when an opponent disrupts its preferred approach.
Article Continues BelowPut accountability outside the family
Preston Mattingly’s position as general manager requires explicit boundaries around decisions involving his father.
Dombrowski should take direct responsibility for managerial evaluations and coaching appointments. Preston should recuse himself from decisions involving his father’s employment, compensation and discipline. Ownership should review major disputes and evaluate Dombrowski’s performance against clearly defined, written standards.
The family relationship establishes no wrongdoing. Clear rules would protect both Mattinglys while ensuring that the Phillies can challenge managerial decisions without creating a family dispute.
The Phillies owe the man who rescued their season a roster reset, an offensive overhaul and accountability that reaches the front office. Philadelphia cannot spend his next two years protecting the same core and defending the same decisions. Mattingly earned another chance by fixing the season he inherited. Dombrowski must now fix the organization he built.