PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies will largely have the same major league coaching staff in 2026, though with a shuffle in titles.
The Phillies this week signaled that Rob Thomson would return as manager, entering the final year of his current deal in 2026.
But the Phillies will add a new bench coach, shifting the current occupant of that role, Mike Calitri, to the newly created major league field coordinator.
Dombrowski called the decision to retain Thomson “perfunctory.” Thomson said he didn’t give a second thought to his job status in the aftermath of the elimination by the Dodgers in Game 4 of the National League Division Series last week.
Dombrowski has in the past said his preference is to not have managers in the final year of contracts. He said the club will look to add an additional year or years to Thomson’s deal in the winter but they haven’t yet had time to hammer that out.
Calitri’s job swap is a codification of many of the things he already does.
“Essentially, Mike’s going to be doing exactly what he was doing last year: all the organization, spring training, on a daily basis during the season, get all the information, run our advance meetings,” Thomson said at Thursday’s end-of-season media availability. “What we’re really doing is adding another set of eyes, maybe new perspective, different perspective on our club, new ideas.”
The change allows the club to bring in another voice, perhaps to strengthen what is perceived to be a shortfall of Thomson’s in-game management, perhaps to groom a successor for the 62-year-old.
Thomson said he believes he’ll be involved in the hiring process. Dombrowski said, “it would be ideal to have somebody that maybe has had some managerial experience.”
“It’s really an emphasis for us that we can get a little bit better in so many different ways,” the president of baseball operations said. “That’s what you attempt to do. You’re always looking to get better.”
The rest of the coaching staff will be retained.
Thomson took over as the interim boss in 2022, his first big-league managerial gig. He’s 346-251 in three-plus season (.580), plus a 21-17 postseason record, though he’s won just three of his last 10 playoff games. Thomson moved into the top 10 in all-time managerial wins in club history this summer.
“I don’t know how long I’m going to manage,” Thomson said. “You’ve got to have somebody that wants you, first. I’ve said it many times, the last four years are the most fun in my career. It has to do with the people in the organization, players, staff, front office, the fan base, how I’m treated by you guys. I feel like I’m treated very fairly, and as long as I’m happy and my family’s happy, I’m having fun and they want me, I’ll manage.”
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Dombrowski stopped short of guaranteeing any jobs for 2026, but he repeatedly discussed the prospects of the organization’s top minor-leaguers, like Justin Crawford, Andrew Painter and Aidan Miller.
Crawford hit .334 at Triple A. The main impediment to his promotion was regular time in the majors, and the Phillies could organize an outfield in which both Harrison Bader and Max Kepler are on expiring contracts to keep open that window.
Painter is not guaranteed a starting spot, after a rocky first year since Tommy John surgery. But Dombrowski seems reasonably assured that command is the last thing to return for young pitchers post-surgery. Painter getting through the season by logging 118 innings (albeit with a 5.26 ERA) is a step.
Dombrowski was pleasantly surprised by Miller’s progress, including his ability to play shortstop. He’ll likely find a home on the major league diamond elsewhere, likely at third.
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All has gone well with Zack Wheeler, who had thoracic decompression surgery on Sept. 23. He will begin rehabbing next week.
Nothing has occurred to dissuade the Phillies from the six-to-eight-month timeline from surgery, which would put Wheeler available to pitch between March 31 and May 31.
The timeline is suitably optimistic that Dombrowski isn’t planning his offseason moves as though Wheeler won’t be available for most of the season.
“I don’t think it’ll affect us a great deal of what we do, because we are looking for him to come back,” he said.
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Dombrowski at first said the club was still deciding on Jose Alvarado’s $9 million club option for 2026. He then clarified that, “I’d be surprised, without making any announcements, that Alvarado is not back with us, but we’ll see what ends up happening.”
Alvarado was suspended 80 games for a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, which made him ineligible for the postseason. He returned from the restricted list in August, then went down in September with forearm tightness.
Dombrowski said Alvarado has checked out fine physically. Thomson is said he is “very bullish” on Alvarado’s ability to remain a contributor.
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By the standards of a two-time MVP, Bryce Harper struggled in 2025. He hit 27 home runs and drove in 75 runs in 132 games, solid numbers but hardly the franchise cornerstone he’s been.
Dombrowski is hopeful that the struggles are a one-year concern, though he can’t be sure.
“Can he rise to the next level again? I don’t really know that answer,” Dombrowski said. “He’s the one that will dictate that more than anything else, is what it comes down to. I don’t think he’s content with the year that he had, and it wasn’t a bad year. But when I think of Bryce Harper, you think an elite. You’re thinking one of the top 10 players in baseball, and I don’t think it fit into that category.”
Dombrowski said a wrist injury that dogged Harper during the season is healed.
His manager is much more certain, calling Harper “highly motivated to have the best season of his career next year.” His counsel to reverse the blip is to not try to do too much.
“He hasn’t told me this, but that type of person, and I’ve seen it before, where they’ve had bad years, they go like gangbusters during the offseason to get better, because they want to get back to where they normally are at,” Thomson said. “And I think that’s just Harp’s mindset.”
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In the order of postseason personnel triage, first comes Alvarado, then free agents J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber and Ranger Suarez.
Soon after is settling the Nick Castellanos situation. Castellanos’ production fell to the point of losing his starting spot. With one year and $20 million left on his deal, he’d be an expensive platoon. It’s even less palatable if Castellanos is dissatisfied enough to be insubordinate to Thomson, as he was benched a game for, or publicly questioning the manager’s communication.
Thomson is ready to turn the page on that.
“I never hold any grudges, or if I have a problem with a player or another coach, it doesn’t linger,” Thomson said. “I’m always a guy that’s going to turn the page on that type of thing.”
Dombrowski said the matter was handled internally.
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NOTES >> Dombrowski didn’t mention Alec Bohm once in 54 minutes of questions. Bohm is entering the final year of club control. That is the same contract juncture as Jesus Luzardo, who was excellent in his first season as a Phillie since being acquired from Miami and added two strong postseason outings. Dombrowski listed a Luzardo extension as a priority. “We haven’t talked about that as of yet, but I’d love to have Jesus Luzardo be part of our organization for years to come,” Dombrowski said. … Dombrowski had no update on scans of Castellanos’ balky left knee. The only other health concern is Otto Kemp, who was having unspecified cleanup surgery. “He is a tough player. He is tough,” Dombrowski said. “And I’m not sure that a lot of players, a lot of people, period, would play with some of the things that he had.”
