7:00 p.m.: Matt Gelb of The Athletic confirmed the coach’s decisions. His report notes that Long was signed through 2028 as part of an extension he signed after 2025. Gelb reports that Long is expected to draw interest from several other clubs. He brings up the Mets as a possibility, noting that Long has a good relationship with Juan Soto from their time with the Nationals.
There will also be a change at third base coach. When Mattingly replaced Thomson, third base coach Dusty Wathan replaced Mattingly as bench coach. Anthony Contreras was recalled from his role as Triple-A manager to become the new third base coach. Contreras will remain with the team but in a different role, according to Gelb.
6:30 p.m.: The Phillies will move on from hitting coach Kevin Long and infield coach Bobby Dickerson, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
Long, 59, was hired as the club’s hitting coach for the 2022 season. He previously held that title with the Yankees, Mets and Nationals. His first season in Washington, in 2018, was Bryce HarperThis is the last one before hitting free agency and signing with Philadelphia. The Phils were rebuilding at that time, missing the playoffs in every season from 2012 to 2021. In the latter campaign, the team-wide batting line was .240/.318/.408, leading to a 94 wRC+.
The first season under Long was a success. The Phils hit .253/.317/.422 in 2022 for a wRC+ of 107. They managed to make it to the World Series, although they lost to the Astros. After that year in Philadelphia, Long signed to an extension of an unknown length.
Over the next three seasons, things remained largely stable. From 2023 to 2025, the club had a combined .257/.327/.431 line and 106 wRC+. The Phils made the playoffs in all three years, although they lost in the NLCS in 2023 and the NLDS the following two years.
2026 was a step backwards. As a team, they hit .240/.312/.395. This led to a wRC+ of 92, which was better than the Reds and Rockies. 11 players have made at least 130 plate appearances for the Phillies this year. Only Harper, Kyle Schwarber And Bryson Stott produces a wRC+ greater than 90. Essentials of the range like Trea Turner And JT Realmuto had years of rest. Luis Arraez saw his numbers decline after being acquired from the Giants at the deadline.
It’s always difficult to entrust the success or failure of a club to a single manager, but the Phillies are making decisions about next year’s personnel and have opted for change. Earlier today, interim manager Don Mattingly had the interim tag removed despite signing a two-year contract to manage the club in 2027 and 2028. Mattingly took over in April when Rob Thomson was fired and may have had some ideas on how to shake up a team he inherited mid-season.
Dickerson has more than a decade as a big league coach. Since 2011, he has worked for the Orioles, Padres and Phillies, holding the titles of bullpen coach, third base coach, bench coach and infield coach. He was hired as an infield coach for the Phillies in October 2021.
The Phillies have had poor defensive metrics for years, although it would be hard to blame any one staff member. The club has clearly prioritized offense over defense in building its squad. They signed players like Schwarber and Nicolas Castellanos. They gave a lot of playing time to Alex Bohm at third base, despite his abysmal numbers there. At the deadline, they shook up their lineup to put Arraez at second base, moving Stott to third, Bohm to first and Harper to right field.
For what it’s worth, the Phillies had a collective minus-51 mark for defensive runs saved this year, tied with the Athletics for last in the league. Outs above average had them at minus-21, in the bottom third of MLB teams. Bohm and Turner rated poorly on both measures. Stott did well with OAA but not with DRS. Harper’s early groundwork was neutral in the eyes of the DRS but mediocre according to the OAA.
Photo courtesy of Morgan Tencza, Imagn Images
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