There haven’t yet been any talks between the Phillies and manager Rob Thomson about a contract extension, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters (including the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Alex Coffey) this week. Thomson was named interim manager during the 2022 season after Joe Girardi was fired, and after the Phillies’ run to the World Series, Thomson was given a new two-year pact as the club’s new full-time skipper. No club options were attached to the deal, so the 60-year-old Thomson is only locked up through the 2024 campaign.
Despite the relative lack of contractual stability, it doesn’t appear as though Thomson is going anywhere, given how successful the Fightins have been under his watch. With still plenty of time left for an extension to be negotiated, it wouldn’t at all be surprising to see a new contract for Thomson announced prior to Opening Day. Though Thomson had been planning to retire from baseball heading into the 2022 season, his first run as a big league manager has re-energized his spirits. “I love this city, this organization, this team. I have never had as much fun in my life as I have the last couple of years. So yeah, I can envision [managing beyond 2024,” Thomson told Coffey and company.
More on other dugout situations around baseball….
- The Guardians are set to interview Craig Counsell after being granted permission by the Brewers earlier this week, creating speculation that the Guards might be able to find another experienced, successful manager to replace Terry Francona. However, a Counsell/Cleveland pairing looks to be “a long shot,” as a source tells Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Pluto feels Counsell will ultimately end up staying in Milwaukee, though he thinks “the Guardians should go hard after Counsell” by giving him a deal akin to Francona’s past status as the highest-paid manager in baseball. Of course, this wouldn’t stop the Brewers from also offering Counsell a raise, or the deep-pocketed Mets (who are also pursuing Counsell) from going overboard in a bidding war.
- The Orioles’ coaching changes earlier this week could be “akin to the principal becoming the headmaster of a school and a new principal coming in beneath him to handle the day to day,” The Baltimore Banner’s Jon Meoli writes. Chris Holt will remain the club’s director of pitching, even if he will no longer be acting as the Orioles’ pitching coach and quite so intimately involved in game-day operations. Odds are that the Orioles will fill the pitching coach role from within, though Meoli feels an outside hire would represent some alteration in Baltimore’s approach in managing and developing their hurlers.
Cleveland makes more sense than NY for Counsell if he doesn’t go back to the Brewers.
So does Houston but Espada should get that job
Huh? Let’s see do I want to manage a low budget team or a no budget team?
ham77, why does Cleveland make more sense than New York?
Why?
Just the opposite. If he’s leaving Milwaukee, he’s not going to replace it with a similar, but less-successful organization. He’ll either return to Milwaukee with a nice pay bump, or he’ll go with for his former boss in NY with a huge payroll and a huge bump in pay. I don’t see what Cleveland offers compared to those two markets.
Cleveland is actually a more successful franchise than Milwaukee or Mets. Need an example ? Look at the value Cleveland got out of Lindor both on the field and financially and compare that to what the Mets will get and have received. Thats the core of their successful business model is superior of the 3 teams and that’s why Cleveland is always considered a contender in the central and why they are loaded with young talent. So If he wants the best job – it’ll be Cleveland
Mets would be last on my list. The cost of living and lifestyle in ny is way different than Milwaukee so how much money per year is worth making that move ? Plus if u leave that job security for Mets it’s just a matter of time before Mets implode and they blame counsell then he’s got to relocate again. Go to Cleveland and he’ll never get fired
whiffa, it seems to me MIL and CLE have similar business models.
During Counsell’s tenure in Milwaukee. 5 playoff appearances each. Nearly identical W-L records. High spending on analytics, technology, and player development. Low spending on payroll. Very similar organizations.
Because the smarter teams today have a more system-wide approach. He’ll be director of pitching across the organization, from the MLB team down to the lowest level. Each level will have a pitching coach, but he’ll still be the organization’s overall pitching director. He’s not being sent to the minors, but removing the day-to-day obligation of MLB pitching coach can ensure he can better implement a system-wide approach.
This mis-threaded. It was a response to @This one belongs to the Reds..”
LordD99,
I was muted by “This one…” a while back, and I might have muted him, too.
I’m guessing he’s still complaining about the big-market teams having every advantage over small-market teams. If you dare challenge him on that, he’s likely to mute you, too.
Mickey Calloway might have skeletons in his closet, but if he has done his time, which he has, he would be a tremendous help to the Orioles pitchers
Just makes sure he signs a zero tolerance policy agreement
Dude is selling real estate meow. Pretty sure he’s cooked.
I am sure he could find his way back
He was a top pitching coach
Callaway is done. He’s poison to your PR dept.
Once some pitching coaches get a taste of managing, they don’t want to go back. Like John Farrell.
Who did he manage
Callaway managed the Mets, Farrel the Red Sox. Both had ties to the Cleveland organization.
Topper and the Phillies are a good match. I hope he’s with the organization for the foreseeable future.
“Director of pitching”. If he is not the major league pitching coach, call him the minor league pitching coordinator that he is.
These goofy titles are getting ridiculous.
American institutions will make you short-circuit, if that’s the case.
It’s not goofy at all if you pull back the curtain and understand what’s going on here. He is the organization wide director of pitching – not minor leagues.
The only thing changing here is a new pitching coach in the dugout. This will allow Holt to focus on other things across the board. Clearly he’s valued in the organization and it’s not any sort of demotion.
It will be Interesting to see If Milwaukee Brewers get tired of
Craig C soap opera.
Or Is this the plan for him to talk to other teams and If he leaves the Brewers can say we try to keep him but he wanted to go somewhere else
It’s only soap opera to us. He’s doing what he should to do to gain leverage during negotiations with any org. He’ll have at least two offers from MIL and CLE (if provided) to bring to the Mets on their next meeting.
I think it’s more like CC is playing one team against another. He’ll stay with the Brewers. He’s just letting them know that, if they don’t raise his salary, he has other places to go. Kind of like what Judge did to the Giants.
Problem is Counsell can’t win in the playoffs so maybe he should check himself and get off his God complex. Maybe it’s time for him to move on. Time for him to learn the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence. I would like to see Mike Redmond get a chance.
I am curious why you say it is a soap opera? His contract is up and it just looks like he is exploring his options and doing his due diligence.
It’s sometimes difficult to separate the signals from the noise.
Soap opera? His contract expires October 31, so he’s looking at his future job options. Where’s the excessive drama in that?
Also maybe this way to find a manager that will cost less the Craig C and Milwaukee Brewers can save money on hire a first time manager at 1 million dollars a year vs paying Craig C say 4 or 5 million a year
why? you do know that manager payroll isnt factored into the teams payroll? its not like the money saved on a first time manager will net us a player or anything…
Not sure how much “WAR” a manager adds. I think about patriots coach belichick. Was he a great coach? Or was he a great coach because he had the best QB ever? Hasn’t had great results since brady left. Was tito a great manager in Boston? Didnt hurt that he had pedroia and ortiz plus manny and others. The guardians won 92 and appeared on the 2022 playoffs. 76 in 2023, no playoffs. I just dont see it that the manager makes the difference. Players, injuries, luck seem to make the difference.
The Ians blew 34 saves this past season. Kinda hard to manage that.
When your Closer is also your team leader in Losses that’s usually a bad sign
nurse: There’s more to managing than just writing out a lineup. The smart ones, of which there aren’t many, are easy to spot. Take Lovullo and Bochy. Lovullo has his own distinct strategy that the other team doesn’t expect. Bochy has his team prepared for each game. Their guys are loose and have a positive attitude. They just let them play. Compare that to LaRussa who, in less one season, managed to demoralized an entire team. His legacy of failure still lingers.
Larussa couldn’t even run the diamondbacks. I think Marte is the only player left from that era, besides Luvello but Luvello is credited from Hazen.
avenger: there aren’t many smart managers? What’s your method of evaluating smart managers?
Definitely would like to see if they can come up with a WAR for managers. Every team is different in terms of personalities and general clubhouse culture, so it’s not like you can take the best manager, plunk him down on any team and expect to win any more than the next guy. Interesting concept.
Francona was beyond cooked in 2023. Sure, a lot of players regressed or underperformed, but he made questionable decisions all year. He was ready to retire.
The return on investment on a manager getting 4/5 mil and being successful is greater than a return on a player getting 20-25 mil and being successful. Not greater than a superatar but right there w borderline all stars for sure
Good I hope Thompson Doesn’t manage Philly anymore
Or what I said.
Lol. You can’t even get his name right, and we should care what you hope??
I get that the WS is still going and lots of teams haven’t finished interviews, but can we get a hire already? By somebody?
We did – the Giants hired Melvin.
Caused no net gain, as the Padres opened up, but technically it is one hire. I believe the teams are highly discouraged from making major announcements during the Series, so the only hires you would hear would be on the next travel day or at the end of the Series.
Yep, true. Can’t believe I forgot about that already.