Phillies extend Rob Thomson’s contract through the 2027 season
Since he was named Phillies manager in 2022, Thomson has led the team to a .580 winning percentage.
ORLANDO — The Phillies have extended manager Rob Thomson’s contract through 2027, the team announced Tuesday.
After the team’s National League Division Series loss to the Dodgers, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said he planned to add a year to Thomson’s contract during the winter to avoid him being a lame duck in 2026.
“I think he’s a good manager, is really what it comes down to,” Dombrowski said in October. “And there’s so many qualities when you talk about a manager that’s a good manager. He knows the game very well; he’s inside and out in that regard. He communicates with his players. He works hard. I don’t think he leaves any stone unturned. …
» READ MORE: Source: Phillies, Kyle Schwarber agree to five-year, $150 million contract
“You make mistakes, or you make things that can be questioned, but you do it with sound reason. I think there’s way too much emphasis that’s always placed on ‘That didn’t go well,’ or ‘This didn’t go well.’ It’s different than if you’re doing something that just doesn’t make sense. … You review the overall picture of what somebody does. And I think he does a really good job for us.”
Since he was named Phillies manager in 2022, Thomson, 62, has led the team to a .580 winning percentage. He is the fourth manager in MLB history to reach the postseason in each of his first four full seasons at the helm and was a finalist for manager of the year in 2025.
“It always comes back for me, are you having fun? Are you enjoying it? Are you getting in somebody’s way? Are you getting in the way of winning?” Thomson said. “I’m still enjoying it. I love the organization. This is the only place I want to go.
“I don’t want to go anyplace else whenever I’m done because I love the people and I love the organization, from the owner to Dave to all our player development people. It’s just a group of people that really come together and want to win baseball games and want to win a championship. That’s what I like.”
Dombrowski also said Monday at the winter meetings that the Phillies have “mutual interest” with Don Mattingly regarding their opening at bench coach, although nothing has been finalized. Mattingly worked with Thomson in the New York Yankees organization.
Despite playing only two seasons for the Phillies, Aaron Rowand left his mark. Literally. Twenty years ago Monday, Rowand smashed into the center-field fence and broke bones in his face to make a catch. And if that didn’t instantly boost his popularity with the fan base, his answer four days later to a question about why he would sacrifice his body certainly did. Rowand joins Phillies Extra to reminisce about “The Catch,” his role in helping to change the culture around the Phillies, and a lot more. Watch here.
You can also subscribe to the podcast version of Phillies Extra on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Previous episodes: Hunter Pence | Paco Figueroa | Gage Wood | Scott Boras | Brian Barber | Aaron Nola | Justin Crawford | Garrett Stubbs | Kyle Schwarber | Brad Keller