Phillies to keep Rob Thomson as manager, per report

Phillies manager Rob Thomson will return to his position in 2026 despite another early postseason exit, according to a report by Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Philadelphia lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series last week, making it two NLDS losses after winning the NL East and earning a first-round playoff bye in the past two Octobers. The Phillies have improved in the regular season each year under Thomson, but the playoff results have stagnated since the club’s surprise run to the World Series in 2022.

Thomson, 62, was asked about his future following Philadelphia’s Game 4 loss to end the series at Dodger Stadium and if he expected to manage next season. He replied that he was more focused on his players and staff in the difficult moment.

“It’s out of my control,” Thomson said. “I’m not even thinking about it. I’ve got 60 people in there that are brokenhearted right now. So I’m thinking about that more so than my job right now.”

The Phillies are 345-251 since Thomson took over for Joe Girardi during the 2022 season, giving the Canadian native the highest winning percentage for any manager with a full season under his belt in franchise history (.580). And his postseason career started on a tremendous note as the Phillies clinched the NL pennant in his first year.

But the club has not replicated the same playoff success since blowing the NL Championship Series to the Diamondbacks in 2023. The Phillies have put up 95- and 96-win seasons in 2024 and 2025, but they’ve been beaten in the NLDS both times. Some of Thomson’s decisions in Games 1 and 2 against the Dodgers were scrutinized. The loss this year left many wondering if the team could use some sort of change after running back mostly the same core.

At the very least, the change won’t happen in the manager’s office. But it will remain to be seen if the Phillies will alter their coaching staff at all. Thomson and team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will speak at an end-of-season press conference at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday morning.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that Thomson signed an extension through the 2026 season last fall, meaning next year would be his last under contract unless the team gives him another extension. Dombrowski talked at the end-of-season press conference last year about his preference to avoid entering a season with a “lame duck” as manager.

“I don’t think going into the manager’s last year is ever a good situation to be in if you can prevent that from happening,” Dombrowski said at the time. “He deserves the extension in that regard. I’ve been in a position — sometimes willingly, sometimes unwillingly — where your manager goes into the last year of his contract, and right off the bat, you’ll lose three games in a row and there’s speculation on his job status.”

Thomson has said on multiple occasions that his current job with the Phillies will be his last on the field. His veteran career will go on for at least one more season.