The coaching staff will not be affected if the Philadelphia Phillies undergo any changes in 2025.
Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations, said Tuesday that the Phillies will retain its major league coaching staff for the 2026 season and have extended manager Rob Thomson’s contract.
“He has performed admirably for us. “He’s been an extremely effective manager,” Dombrowski remarked. Few baseball teams have advanced to the postseason three consecutive years. He’s already done that. Under his leadership, our club has performed admirably.
It’s also one where I believe stability in the manager position—if you can avoid it, I don’t think it’s ever a good idea to be in the manager’s final year. In that sense, he is deserving.
According to Thomson, the only place he wants to be is Philadelphia.
Thomson stated, “I think year by year is good with me.” “I’ve brought it up several times. This will be my last destination, and it’s the only place I want to be.”
Dombrowski acknowledged the Phillies’ effective coaching staff and gave them credit for the team’s 95 victories. Thomson, he added, also desired the return of his coaches.
Dombrowski stated, “They’ve been with us for a couple of years,” “three years in many situations, and some longer. They work extremely well. They perform their duties effectively. Our management is good. They collaborate effectively with the management.
The Phillies have not won a World Series title for three consecutive Octobers after falling to the New York Mets in the National League Division Series last week, which eliminated them from the MLB playoffs.
The Phillies earned a first-round bye and their first NL East title since 2011 in the 2024 season, but they still have a crucial summer ahead of them.
Philadelphia had a club that many thought was among the favorites to win the World Series going into the postseason after winning 95 games. Rather, the bullpen collapsed, the Phillies’ hitters chased garbage, and the front office was left wondering the same things they had previous winter.
How is the lineup balanced by the Phillies? With a pursuit percentage of 30.3, the Phillies were 24th in MLB. In the first half, they chased less, but when July rolled around, the tide shifted and they continued to chase.
How did the bullpen turn out? Philadelphia’s bullpen was far superior to 2023 on paper. One of the Phillies’ postseason advantages and strengths was thought to be their bullpen. However, this season’s All-Stars Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm were unable to get outs.
This winter, will the Phillies spend a lot of money? For 2025, the Phillies have already committed $203.26 million to eight players. The club will make more than the $241 million threshold for the competitive balance tax. How much is the question?
As the Phillies’ offseason starts rather early, Dombrowski has a lot of questions.
Additional remarks from Dombrowski’s press conference may be found here.
Dombrowski still thinks the Phillies have a team capable of winning a title.
On October 15, Dombrowski will not divulge trade secrets. (Hint: he won’t give anything if the Phillies decide to go for a top free agent, like Juan Soto.) However, the president of the Phillies did vote in favor of the team’s roster.
“I believe the club is wonderful. It’s a club that can win a global title, in my opinion,” Dombrowski stated. “We have been intimate. We won 95 games. But you’re also flexible enough to adapt as needed. That seems necessary to me. You wish to recover. We didn’t win the entire thing, and you’re never content till you do.”
“Look at our guys—eight of them were selected to the All-Star squad. That indicates that you have many talented players. When you speak about the experienced players, we’re in a position where they’re excellent players right now. We’ll do it, as you’re always willing to change things, whatever you need to improve. We’ll carry that attitude throughout the winter.
Dombrowski attributed the team’s NLDS defeat to the underwhelming performance of the bats.
“We didn’t strike. We didn’t actually hit. Dombrowski remarked, “Some of it is approach, some of it is chase.” “Girls not being attractive is part of the problem. We’ll keep an open mind and try to improve our ballclub.”
Trea Turner will not be moving from shortstop for the Phillies.
The Phillies do not currently have any intentions to move Trea Turner from shortstop, despite the fact that he has nine years remaining on his 11-year, $300 million contract.
Dombrowski stated that the 31-year-old Turner will be the team’s shortstop in 2025, even though publicly available data indicates that he is one of the worst defensive shortstops in MLB (17 mistakes, -14 defensive runs saved, -3 outs above average).
“He will be our shortstop, yes,” Dombrowski stated. However, we also believe that you need to exercise caution when using some [defense metrics]. We use defensive analytics, but as far as we are aware, there isn’t a precise method to characterize the game’s defensive elements.
“Turner’s defensive metrics are comparable to when the club signed him,” Dombrowski continued.
“His range is decent. Sometimes he makes pretty good plays,” Dombrowski remarked. However, he occasionally makes far too many mistakes. However, he has become better. He has put in a lot of effort, and I wouldn’t be shocked if, in spite of his advanced age, he keeps getting better.”
The president of the Phillies cited Turner’s quickness and athleticism as reasons why he still thinks the 31-year-old can fill the role.
“He is really athletic. “He still has excellent speed,” Dombrowski remarked. “He’s still one of the fastest guys in baseball, so I don’t think you can compare his aging process to, let’s say, the average player.”
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