Phillies and Don Mattingly Have ‘Mutual Interest’ in the Bench Coach Job, Look to Bring His Experience
TORONTO, ONTARIO - OCTOBER 24: Bench coach Don Mattingly #46 of the Toronto Blue Jays is introduced before game one of the 2025 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rogers Center on October 24, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
The Phillies finally created some movement in what has been a slow Winter Meetings stretch in Orlando, and it comes in the form of Don Mattingly.
Both sides have a mutual interest in him becoming the Phils’ next bench coach, and they’re working through the last pieces of the deal. Nothing official yet, but the intent feels clear.
This goes back to the season-ending presser when Rob Thomson mentioned the plan to hire an experienced bench coach. At the time, it felt like a standard offseason line, while many were still focused on Kevin Long. Nobody was expecting the Phillies to look toward someone with Mattingly’s background or his ability to immediately elevate the tone inside the dugout.
There’s no need to inflate what Mattingly brings to the table; his track record speaks for itself. He managed the Dodgers through a period when every game felt like a referendum, and expectations never eased. He won three straight division titles while navigating a roster built for winning baseball games. That kind of environment teaches you timing, feel, and the real speed of the game. The Phillies have seen four straight postseasons destroyed by tiny cracks in execution. This shows that the front office knows the value of having one more voice who has lived the stressful parts of October instead of just studying them.
His work in Toronto adds another dimension, and that is nowhere more obvious than in the Blue Jays’ playoff run. Mattingly helped Manager John Schneider keep the team mentally together, as well as being a sounding board for when there were critical moments for the Jays. There were many moments where the cameras showed Schneider and Mattingly going over strategy in huge moments in the ALCS and World Series. Not to mention his son Preston is already working in the Phillies front office as the general manager. He will be walking into a situation where his legacy as a player and manager will demand respect and a connection to the GM of the team.
The week also brought a meaningful health update. Zack Wheeler started playing catch just months after undergoing surgery for venous thoracic outlet syndrome that abruptly ended his season. The fact that he’s playing catch again is a very positive thing and shows that he is ahead of schedule for his recovery. He also showed up courtside at the Sixers-Lakers game last night, smiling and engaged, nobody expecting that he was playing catch again this soon. For a rotation that leans heavily on his presence, that matters more than anything else coming out of Orlando.
As for the roster itself, the Phillies have been linked to interest in Kazuma Okamoto, the Japanese corner bat with real power and defensive flexibility. He profiles as someone who could slot at first, third, or a corner outfield spot, which naturally sparks questions about how the Phillies might restructure parts of the lineup if they wanted more thump or more positional insurance. After those rumors circulated, Dombrowski was asked about the club’s involvement in the Japanese market. He didn’t tip anything but said the organization has a “very good pulse on that market,” which leaves the door open for several possibilities as the winter plays out.
All of that loops back to why Mattingly fits in such a clean way. He isn’t coming in to rewrite anything or force a new identity. The Phillies already have a strong culture and a manager the players trust. But they also know there were moments last year where one more experienced voice — someone with his feel for the late-inning heartbeat of a game could have shifted the course of the NLDS. Mattingly brings that to the table and then some. Another interesting wrinkle here is that there hasn’t been an extension yet for Thomson. The Phils still have interest in bringing him back, but with 2026 being his final year under his current deal, you have to wonder if Mattingly is a contingency plan if that extension doesn’t get done.
If this comes together, the Phillies won’t just be adding a bench coach. They’ll be adding someone who understands the tempo of a season, someone who brings a winning background, and someone who can influence the exact moments that have kept this team stuck one step shy of finishing the job.
Steve Hamilton
Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible, we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.
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