The Philadelphia Phillies have extended the contract of manager Rob Thomson through the 2027 season, the team announced on Tuesday. Thomson has received a one-year extension in each of the past two offseasons. It may have been wise for the Phillies to make a change, but they have stuck with Thomson. Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski said during the club’s end-of-season press conference that they preferred not to have Thomson enter a potential lame duck season in 2026. This move gives Thomson contract security beyond this coming season. However, it does not guarantee that the team will not move on from Thomson if things go south in 2026. The news comes on the heels of the Phillies reportedly re-signing slugger Kyle Schwarber to a five-year contract.
Phillies Extend Manager Rob Thomson Through 2027
2026 will be the fourth full season for Thomson as the Phillies manager. He ranks 10th on the Phillies’ all-time managerial wins list entering the 2026 season. Additionally, Thomson has the best win percentage among Phillies managers who have managed at least 324 games. Charlie Manuel is the lone Phillies manager who is more games above .500 than Thomson. In two of the three full seasons Thomson has been manager, the Phillies have won the NL East. He also led the Phillies to the World Series after taking over for Joe Girardi mid-season in 2022. However, in the last two seasons, they have stagnated in the postseason.
Breaking: The Phillies have extended the contract of manager Rob Thomson through the 2027 season. pic.twitter.com/uN1esBlkYd
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) December 9, 2025
Implications of This Move
Dombrowski told reporters at the Winter Meetings that the club would like to hire Don Mattingly as the bench coach. Mattingly is the father of Phillies General Manager Preston Mattingly. The team moved Mike Calitri to a field coordinator role to hire a bench coach with previous MLB managerial experience. Thomson being given another extension makes the bench coach move seem less about putting pressure on Thomson and more about adding expertise in the Phillies’ dugout. The hire is not official yet, but all signs point to Mattingly being the next Phillies bench coach. Adding Donnie Baseball to the coaching staff would be an excellent move for the club.
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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