The Phillies’ latest postseason exit has led to some speculation about manager Rob Thomson’s job security, but Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman of the New York Post report that Thomson is “safe for 2026” and is expected to return to lead the Philadelphia dugout next year. The team is planning a formal announcement later in the week.
As pointed out by Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Thomson is just the fourth manager in major league history to lead any team to the postseason in each of his four years on the job. He’s also only the third Phillies manager to guide the club to consecutive NL East championships.
Thomson, 62, was elevated to the manager’s post midway through the 2022 season when Joe Girardi was fired. The team’s bench coach at the time, Thomson has now famously indicated that he was actually planning to retire at the end of that 2022 season before being reinvigorated by the promotion to manager.
In three-plus seasons at the helm, Thomson guided the Phillies to a 346-251 regular season record and steered the ’22 Phillies all the way to an NL Pennant and to Game 6 of the World Series before falling to the ’22 World Champion Astros. Thomson’s Phillies reached Game 7 of the NLCS against the Diamondbacks in 2023 but have now lost in the Division Series in consecutive seasons, falling to the ’24 Mets and the ’25 Dodgers.
Prior to his time as the Phillies’ manager, Thomson spent five years as the bench coach under Girardi. He was also the Yankees’ bench coach under Girardi, holding that position from 2008-17. He’d served as a major league coach with the Yankees prior, dating back to 2003, and has also held roles in their front office (specifically in player development) in addition to various coaching positions in the Yankees’ minor league ranks.
Though some fans might’ve hoped for a change in voice after four consecutive earlier-than-hoped playoff exits, it doesn’t seem that any such sentiment exists within the clubhouse. Phillies players emphatically voiced last week — via both Lauber and The Athletic’s Matt Gelb — that Thomson has their support.
“I love Topper, man,” Harper said after the team’s heartbreaking end to the season. “He’s done a great job for us. I don’t know what the future holds. I have no idea. I think that’s a [question for president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski]. But obviously, we love Topper in here.” Teammate Trea Turner agreed wholeheartedly.
“I’ve been blessed with a lot of good managers in my career — I’ve probably played for four or five now, and they’ve all been really good — and he’s right up there with them,” said Turner. “He’s got all the qualities. He keeps it even-keeled all year long. He’s great, man. I don’t think you can ask for more out of a manager.”
Thomson is currently signed through the 2026 season. The Phillies inked him to a one-year extension last offseason — a move that prevented him from playing out the current campaign as a lame-duck manager. Perhaps they’ll go a similar route this time around, but for right now, Thomson’s contract is slated to conclude at the end of the ’26 season and is not believed to contain any kind of option for the 2027 season.
No word here on Mike Schildt yet?
It was literally the article they posted before this one.
Sounds like he’s retiring, not just resigning. Said the season took a huge toll on him, and after 36 years of coaching/managing, he’s ready to be done. Always liked him from the outside looking in. He was better in STL than the current turd they have in there. Maybe a little too old school for today’s game, but I think a lot of us still are. I love the game, and we’ll always follow, but these bullpen games in the playoffs, ghost runners at 10, and some of other changes, have kinda robbed the game of its natural feel. Nothing is ever gut anymore, the computers make most of the decisions. Some of the old school guys probably have a hard time with that. Cheers to retirement. We don’t all get there.
I see it now, it didn’t load for me at first. Haha
Me adding the word literally to my comment, turned it into kind of a d*ckhead response, and I apologize for that. Bad form on my part.
All good braddha, no worries. 🤙🏽
Just posted. I am wondering if Schildt has physical health issues. Hope they are issues that can be successfully addressed with a more relaxed routine, diet and moderate exercise.
This article made me think about a guy named Robbie Thompson who played for the Giants in the 80s. Heck of a ball player but not at all clutch.
When Rob Thompson was named manager I thought he was the Robbie Thompson you are referring to. Not being a regular follower of the Phillies it wasn’t until a few days later that I realized they were two different people.
I don’t know how Topper won 96 games with the injuries and suspension
I like Rob and the Phillies’ postseason failures fall more on the players, but I’m surprised the Phillies wouldn’t at least consider a change. Seems like the staff hasn’t done a great job preparing the players for October.
I’ve rarely had an issue with Thomson as manager but he is completely the reason they lost. He made the exact same mistake this year as he did last year…letting a relieve come into a tense situation, work his way out of it, and then let him sit for an inning and send him back out. Last year it was Jeff Hoffman, this year it was David Robertson in game 1. He had a completely rested bullpen, a day off the next day, and he gave the ball to an already tired Robertson instead of sending literally anyone out there. That one inning changed the entire course of the season for the Phillies and ruined the year. The bats going cold, not coming up clutch, Kierkering’s boneheaded play, etc.—all of it changes if the Phillies win the first game. This failure is 100% on Thomson.
I can’t argue this one bit. I think we all knew the series was over after Game 1. I know I sure did.
“Kierkering’s boneheaded play….is 100% on Thomson.” That makes no sense. It was Kierkering who misplayed the ball.
Orion should not have been that situation to begin with. Over the last two months of the season, his stats with inherited runners scoring are not good.
Not what I said. Kierkering’s knuckle headed play is complete on Kierkering and no one else. As is the bat’s going cold, not coming up clutch, etc. What I did say, however, was that everything changed when Thomson messed up the first game, putting them at a huge disadvantage.
Love how you use the three dots to connect two sentences though, as if pretending the rest of the sentence, the period separating the sentences, and the first words of the next sentence don’t exist.
True Kerkering made the bad play. But nothing was discussed about where the play was going to go if the ball was hit back to the pitcher in the mound visit right before that play? Or there were no fundamentals practiced all year long on how to field the ball and where to throw it? That all comes down to the manager and coaches.
I don’t think it really comes down to preparation as much as it is just misplaying a comebacker then panicking. Those plays are actually really tricky. The ball always looks like it’s coming at you 100 mph. You can practice your whole life and still misplay a ball.
There were comments made that it wasn’t practiced readily for the bullpen group. Can’t remember where I saw that. The Athletic maybe. I agree that’s a coaching issue, but maybe more with the bullpen coaches.
Ricky Bo mentioned it on his talk show that the bullpen don’t practice it like they did in his days.
He is still a young pitcher and Thomson put too much trust in him against the Dbacks two years ago and again here.
Kerkering clearly panicked as many young pitchers and even some older ones might do in that situation.
It is a shame that it had to end that way,
This is the reason why not every good reliever can be a closer.They have to be cool under pressure while being aggressive to get the last outs of a game.
I’d like to remind everyone that the best relief pitcher of all time time made a similar error in the last inning of game 7 of the World Series in his prime. It’s baseball. These things do happen. And Mo was a guy who is known for ‘clutch’ and being untouchable.
When you speak of cool under pressure in that situation we are speaking about how aware a person is from second to second. Even in an intense situation you can easily lose your normal level of consciousness for a split second (especially when a comebacker is hit with the bases loaded in a playoff game). He’s likely very focused there (on the hitter) to the point of even losing track of the situation/surroundings perhaps. We all want to make something more out of it. Who knows really? But it could happen to anyone.
Mo didn’t make a boneheaded play, throwing to the wrong base. He made a bad throw. Bad plays happen. Stupid plays shouldn’t.
dclivejazz
“Kierkering’s boneheaded play….is 100% on Thomson.” That makes no sense.
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Removing parts of the paragraph is what makes no sense. In no way, shape or form did the reader say that Kerkering’s misplay was Thomson’s fault.
ayeah
But nothing was discussed about where the play was going to go if the ball was hit back to the pitcher in the mound visit right before that play?
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I’m curious what you think that discussion would entail? Let me be the manager for the play:
“If it is hit back to you, catch it and throw it to 1st”
There is no strategy to discuss. It was a routine play. Same as if the ball was hit to 2nd, 3rd, or SS.
Apparently you never played baseball. Where to throw the ball can change from situation to situation.
For instance, if the ball is hit to SS with 2 outs and a runner on first, the throw may go the short throw to second. But if there is 2 outs and no runner on first, the SS damn well better not throw the ball to second.
And you say, there is no strategy. So, when there is a runner on 1st and 3rd. There is no strategy called by the manager in the dugout to the catcher to the fielders whether to throw through to second to throw out the base runner on first attempting to steal or not?
Note: I said these coaches aren’t drilling in the bullpen pitchers heads what to do in certain situations. Which is why it needs to be communicated on the mound when they are doing a mound visit. If they are managing a team correctly.
What are you playing a baseball video game? Where strategies make no sense when you are playing every player on the team? Then, yes, there is no strategy to talk it over with the other minds on the field.
I stopped reading after your brief discussion on the SS throwing to 2nd to get the force-out. There are 8 billion people in the world, and all 8B agree.
There is nothing discussion-worthy. No one calls a timeout to tell their 2B, SS, or 3B where to throw for the force-out.
There really was no strategy to discuss in terms of fielding ON THIS PLAY. You may be absolutely right that it isn’t practiced/discussed as it should be with relievers but in this case it is all a matter of speculation and assigning causes to a play when we can never know if it had anything to do with what occured. Again, anyone can have a lapse when a ball is hit right back at them from 90 feet away with 40,000 people or so in the stands. I can say Eli White made probably the most asinine base running blunder of the year because of lack of drills in spring training or I could see that he likely had a mental lapse in the team’s most important inning of the year up to that point.
@ JoeBrady No clue in baseball.
Rishi
Again, anyone can have a lapse when a ball is hit right back at them from 90 feet away
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That’s it. That’s all that happened. He dropped a ball that he probably catches 99% of the time. Then rushed the play so that he didn’t see the catcher pointing towards 1st. I’ve seen every possible iteration of that error.
Yeah, I am rarely one of those guys who thinks you need to make a change for change sake but damned if Rob’s actions this post season doesn’t push me there.
Plus…during the season I struggled to understand what the hell he was attempting to do with the outfield, why he didn’t do something about the boneheaded base running by Harper, Nick, et al regarding the stupid aggressiveness and finally, how about some sort of stability when it comes to the batting order?
100%? So no blame goes to the offense not putting the ball in play in crucial moments? Your top 3 hitters only getting 3 hits combined in 4 games? To put the blame squarely on Thomson is clueless.
It’s a short series where one play and momentum mean everything. The Phillies had the lead in game one at home. His decision cost them that game—exactly as the same decision did one year ago—and from there, desperation set in.
There are no excuses for anything that followed. The offense played terribly, there were multiple stupid plays on the base paths, in the field, and at the plate…but it’s all mitigated by a game one victory which Rob Thomson threw away.
So, yes, the failure of the 2025 Phillies rests squarely on the shoulders of their manager.
Worst in game manager in baseball. Doesn’t have a clue how to handle a pitching staff.
Completely agree and been saying it for years. And it kills them in postseason when a manager game days decisions mean a ton more than regular season. He has been truly awful in the post season (and the lack of the stars doing anything hasn’t helped either). The James Franklin of MLB.
Dave Roberts might have something to say about worst game manager. He practically tried to hand the Phillies game 2 on a silver platter. They had every right to lose that game.
Don’t forget that he left a CLEARLY gassed Christopher Sanchez in the game until he gave up 2 runs, *then* went to the bullpen. Sure, the big guns not showing up share a lot of the blame, but Thomson has made stupid decision after stupid decision in the postseason.
Losing wheeler, their best pitcher all year, into the playoffs is an ominous sign for most teams. Wasn’t expecting Nola to
Pitch a quality start
It’s a shame there isn’t a “down” arrow but you’re intitled to your opinion. I do disagree though.
Guys making bank like Trea Turner accumulating stats in regular season and not driving in runs in playoffs isn’t the manager. There’s a similar profile guy named Kyle Tucker who someone will guarantee 300mil+ (despite injury issues) even though he road coattails of Altuve/Yordan/Correa/Springer while in Houston.
I wonder about some of the players they bring in honestly. Most seem fine but with Castellanos and Kepler complaining about playing time and what was supposedly all but guaranteed to them I have to blame the player. Maybe try not stinking or being a horrific fielder in Nick C’s case.
Just like Franklin at PSU, Thomson isn’t taking us to the promised land. Sometimes you have to go from good to great. Great regular season record but then awful decision making in the playoffs have cost this team for multiple years. Too much righty lefty nonsense and lack of feel in tough spots. Not happy about this.
Have been saying those two guys are the same for years. JF finally gone, can’t believe they are running Topper back and expecting better results.
The Phillies’ “Let’s run it back!” Mentality has really worked well over the past four years. Every year under Thomson, they’ve done better in the regular season and worse in the postseason.
The Fightins’ benefited this summer from collapses in Atlanta and Queens. Don’t hoist the skipper on his petard for the broken-bat comebacker that led to the Dodgers winning the NLDS.
MOment was too big for Kerkering. Looked like he lost count of the outs. Not only that, but his record for stranding inherited runners the last month of the seasonm was terrible. I would have been best to stick with Luzardo in that spot.
That was all 100% on Thomson. Just as the bunt was in Game 2. Robertson in Game 1. Yes,the players have to play the games, but poor decisions from the Top don’t help matters.
And please don’t give me Monday morning QB as everyone knew it was over when Kerkering came in.
Beyond terrible decision. All this guy does is sit back and wait for the three run home run. When they get that this team wins when they don’t get it and it comes down to the ninth thinning and a managerial decision they rarely win. The only thing I hope for now is Dombrowski is gonna make this team manager proof by going out and making it unequivocally the best team in baseball.
No denying that. I had zero confidence in this squad in extra ininngs due to the managerial decisions and knowing these guys do not have the ability to play small ball.
Again, how anyone can declare that a player’s mistake is 100% on the manager is beyond me.
His pitching management needs some work as well.
“And please don’t give me Monday morning QB as everyone knew it was over when Kerkering came in.”
I didn’t. I knew it was over when Thomson brought in Duran in the 7th already. That was the bonehead mistake.
Woods Rider
Not only that, but his record for stranding inherited runners the last month of the seasonm was terrible.
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In the last month of the season, he did not allow a single inherited runner to score.
I’m curious how you arrived at your conclusion?
Ricky Bottalico during Phillies Post Game.
It’s a little sad when announcers don’t know these things. Ten seconds on BR.
This guy got his a$$ handed to him in the playoffs
Three straight years… but let’s give it another shot
Lots of players that deserve at least as much blame
I used to get on teams like the Mets and the Braves for caring about regular season but not doing it in the playoffs. Phillies are making the same mistake. How does the team choke three times in a row in the playoffs and the manager survive it. Of course the players love him because he doesn’t hold anybody accountable. With this aging core I think this move is the final nail in the coffin. Terrible decision.
Yeah, apparently three strikes and you’re out doesn’t count anymore. And the third time wasn’t the charm either.
Wait, he does hold a grudge and two players accountable, Castellanos and Bohm. The rest of the team gets free passes.
This is feeling like 2009. They should have started to make changes then. Keep the band together isn’t going to work. Personally I feel Harper was playing hurt most of the season or has lost bat speed. He can’t catch up to a fastball right in the lane.
That’s what I think. I’m expecting to hear that Harper needs wrist surgery.
They did make a change in 2009. RTB traded Cliff Lee thinking he had enough pitching instead of teaming him with Halladay. They also didn’t backfill depth pieces well like Stairs, and Brunlett. Say what you want about the latter, but he could run and play all IF posotions.
Bruntlett, the solo triple play turner…how dare you!
They won’t learn!
His brilliant managerial decisions have been a blessing to every team he’s faced in the playoffs. Let’s run it all back again!
Phillies didn’t reach game 7 vs d’backs. Dbacks reached game 7 when the Phillies were up 3-2.
A number of their starters are free agents, I didn’t see Nick castelanos back after he was benched down the stretch. Their window is slowly closing.
There will be changes to the Phillies roster in ’26 and that could be a good thing.
The current roster is very talented, but cannot seem to get the clutch hits in key, pressure, game changing situations.
The pitching looks solid and will continue to be solid.
Some improvements on Defense and clutch ice in their veins hitters would make them a better team in ’26.
My dad will be thrilled to pieces over this
Stupidity continues.
Thompson might be “safe for 2026” but that doesn’t mean his seat isn’t getting a little warm underneath him.. 4 straight trips to the playoffs has yielded one pennant, one NLCS loss and 2 NLDS losses both of which they were out in 4. Another slow start next season might do him in
You still have wait until 2027 to truly hire a long term manager
Not necessarily. The current long term manager was hired 51 games into the ’22 season…
Absurd decision to keep him. The worst argument for keeping him is that players love him. Great leaders aren’t those who are the most loved, they are those who get the best results.
The players love him because he enables them (for the most part) and lets them do whatever they want, with rarely a consequence for poor performance. Castellanos is the only exception that I can think of, but that’s because he stood up to Thomson, in my opinion. He’s usually asleep in the dugout, pulls his starters too late, and his bullpen management is atrocious. The team wins in spite of him.
Thomson’s years sounds a lot like the Charlie Manuel’s years. Except for two things, Charlie’s players knew how to continue playing and winning in the playoffs and made it to the World Series twice and won one. Thomson’s players don’t continue playing in the playoffs.
The only dude I’ve ever seen calmer than Top…is f—-ing Jim Tracy with his little dugout desk sitting there watching his team blow it night after night and shrugging. Topper could get a job as the supervisor at the DMV with his lack of fire.
We need R. Lee Ermey
Mixed feelings. Thomson seems like a great guy, players like him, and he didn’t construct this top heavy roster that doesn’t hit in the clutch. But: The Stott bunt in the playoffs was a terrible idea. Removing luzardo for an inconsistent Kerkering in Game 4 was too. Thomson seems like a manager who can get his team to October, but no further.
I think bc of Thomaon still having a year left they’re pinching pennies and running back one last time before a tear down for 27 beginning the full blown rebuild. Expect nothing big to be done in free agency as well.
Pinching Pennies? Their free agents are going to collect millions and they will have to pay them or get costly replacements. The money spent is the only thing the current ownership will get no beef for.
The penny pinching begins now, was not there in the recent past, with the move of not hiring a new manager while paying the old one. When you spent like they have there will have to be sacrifice eventually, like not spending to keep JT or Schwarber. Like not spending big time on free agents for the brief time being. There will be short term, very short term, penny pinching this year and next.
For the time being you lose pieces but run the rest of the crew that is left back one last time. Then you hit a full blown rebuild in 27 with letting the rest go and going young. The money spent now comes way down and in doing so becomes available and in 28 you’ll see them spend like have once again.
So look for penny pinching to begin now and on into next year to bring the bloat down to earth, and with the establishment of a new core the spending will go back up the parabola probably in 28.
Or they can blow up payroll infinitely and just keep doing it on the same old guys who will bloat the payroll so bad it’ll vomit money. That’s an option too.
Where’s Von Purple Hays comments on this article’s posts? I hope he’s ok!
As he should stay, he’s not the one playing the game. I feel the same about Boone. At some point the manager can’t always be the fall guy. At the end of they day the defense still
Needs to make the plays, the pitchers have to pitch and get outs and the hitters have to produce runs. The players didn’t get it done, not Boone and Thompson
There’s a complacency that the Phils have fallen into with Thomson and Dombrowski.
IMO – some of the players that the Phils have now aren’t built to want the “next level “. Have seen this before. It took Managers with their Coaches to show, teach players who need and want.. to achieve the “next level”.
Thomson never had it. Dombrowski has seen what I have described.. works.
Dave Dombrowski has provided the Phillies with their best group of talented players since their last World Series Championship.
At some point, the Phillies players have to step up and take responsibility in winning playoffs and World Series games.
If they cannot do it with this group, then it might be time to shuffle the cards and move some of these veterans out of there and infuse the team with younger talent and more clutch players who perform better under pressure.
Thomson is a good man.
Neither Dombrowski or Thomson can grab a bat, hit and or pitch and make the clutch plays. It is on those highly paid players to actually play the game and win the Championship.
Yes, complacency. Turner and Harper only run out balls when they feel like it, and Schwarber almost made an out on a ball he didn’t run out recently too. Schwarber also got picked off of first base in a playoff game when there was a runner on second. Where was he going? We’ve seen far too much of this attitude already.
The players seem to like Topper so I’m guessing he is good with the players and that’s important. But after four years it is very evident the man is a horrible in-game manager. Personally, I don’t think he’ll ever get better. Who knows how turns out if he brings Ranger in game 1 or doesn’t go with Robertson (who was leaking badly in his last few outings), Having Stott bunt in game 2 was inexcusable. Thomson said Betts did a great job not selling the wheel play but even announcer Larry Anderson said it made not difference because Muncy and Freeman came running down. Sorry, but a horrible thing to say and Stott should have knows better to even try. Bringing Kerkering in a high leverage situation where he had failed all year is another bad call. He should have just left Luzardo in the game.
Agree on the Thomson critique but Stott said after that loss: “They told me to bunt so I did.” No way he is to blame.
“Having Stott bunt in game 2 was inexcusable.”
Bunting the tying run to 3rd with one out is standard fare in baseball. The fact that Stott is a lefty is a mitigating factor, but I see no way that would be considered an unusual call.
“Bringing Kerkering in a high leverage situation where he had failed all year is another bad call. He should have just left Luzardo in the game.”
I might have left Luzardo in there, but Kerkering got the easy grounder to end the inning. The strategy worked.
Dodgers ran the wheel play on the first pitch,. Stott is probably a true talent .250 hitter, but that makes him a better than .300 hitter with all the infielders running around doing everything but playing their positions. 29 of 30 managers take off the bunt when they see the wheel play is on.
Oh boy another quick exit to the playoffs…
As a Braves fan I love this!
Even with Thomson the Phillies beat the Braves twice in two years in the playoffs.
Topper is fine by me. I got what I expected from the players. I was the idiot wanting to move Shwarber and Realmuto at the deadline because I don’t think one and done with an aging squad is worth creeping into a 10 or 15 year rebuild. I don’t think Harper will get a ring now….and I won’t live long enough to see another Championship….I witnessed two. That’ll have to suffice.
I saw one in 2008, missed 1980 by a year and never thought I’d even see one. I’ll always treasure that championship.
I was a perfect age in 1980. I was only 12yo and spent all my time watching or listening to the Phillies with my Grandmother and our neighbor lady that I addressed as my aunt. I only remember back to 1976, but they would always tell me about the 64 collapse and the 50 whiz kids and the sign that said the Phillies use Lifeboy with the fans retort being ‘and they still stink’…lol…the more Schmidts Beer quart bottles they consumed the more they would get on poor Mike Schmidt…I laugh now and see an irony there….but it used to get me mad because I loved Schmitty so much…I guess I hadn’t suffered long enough yet to be that bitter at just 12…they had their reason after countless seasons of being the doormat of the NL. Neither one of them lived to see 2008…I do recall thinking of them when we won that year and missing their stories and wishing they could see it…I even missed their complaining everytime Schmidt struck out…I could almost hear them saying Howard is just as bad as Schmidt…lol
The Phillies team is loaded.
Some of their hitters have failed the Phillies in the playoffs including Harper, Turner and other. The Phillies top three hitters – Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper – combined for a meager 1-for-14 performance in the decisive Game 4 loss
Schwarber and Castellanos showed some life hitting in key situations
The Phillies could have let Thomson go and hired a “ringer” in future Hall of Fame Manager Bruce Bochy who is also a “players manager”.
Bochy has a good rapport with his players and knows how to unlock the best in his players with his players on teams Bochy has managed frequently “playing over their heads” talent wise.
Bochy was hired in Texas to Win a World Series and did it in his 1st year with the Rangers and a less talented ballclub than the current Phillies roster.
Same thing with the SF Giants when the Giants who won Titles were not even rated the 3rd or 4th best NL team at the time.
Championship caliber teams in the playoffs should not lose on that errant bunt overthrow @1B.
Those teams would have had a bigger lead in that game and that play would have just been an interesting footnote.
The Phillies aren’t going anywhere, and aren’t rebuilding. The lineup is top-heavy, but still good. The rotation is great, if Wheeler returns, but should still be very good if Painter has to take the #5 slot.
They need at least one good arm for the BP, and probably a very good setup + one okay RP.
Thompson is not a good tactician, but the players respond well to him. The Phillies project to be the #2-3 team in BB next year.
Turner and Harper wanted Topper back, and that tells you who’s running the organization. I better see both of them running out every ball at a 100% effort, but I haven’t seen that yet.