Phillies' Rob Thomson Reportedly Won't Be Fired After 2025 MLB Playoff Loss to Dodgers

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson is reportedly "safe for 2026," according to Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post, after the team failed to advance past the NLDS for the second straight year.

Both Matt Gelb of The Athletic and Todd Zolecki of MLB.com confirmed the report. Thomson's current contract runs through the 2026 season.

Thomson, 62, took over as the team's manager midway through the 2022 season after Joe Girardi was fired and promptly led the Phillies to the World Series, where they lost to the Houston Astros in six games.

But expectations were high heading into the 2023 campaign, especially after the team signed Trea Turner to an 11-year, $300 million deal that offseason. The Phillies ultimately returned to the postseason as a Wild Card team and reached the NLCS, holding a 3-2 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks with the final two games in Philadelphia.

But the bats went cold and the Diamondbacks stunned the Phillies in the final two games, preventing a return to the World Series.

In 2024, the Phillies won the NL East by six games over the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets but faced a red-hot Mets team in the NLDS and were ousted in four games, undone by a poor bullpen showing and an offense that was held to two runs or less in three of the four games in the series.

The Phillies again won the NL East in 2025 and again were undone by a poor offensive showing in the NLDS, this time against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Philly's offense was held to six total runs in the first two games of the series, both losses, and only managed one run in Game 4's 11-inning loss, ending their season.

Some of Thomson's in-game managing during the series was also called into question, leading to speculation regarding his job security. Given that Philly is now 2-8 in its last 10 postseason games under his watch, there were questions about how hot his seat might be.

The Phillies didn't wait long to cool that talk, and Thomson's players also supported him after the season concluded.

"I love Topper, man. He's done a great job for us," Bryce Harper told reporters. "I don't know what the future holds. I have no idea. I think that's a Dave Dombrowski question. But obviously, we love Topper here. He's been great for us. And I think that's, like I said, that's a Dombrowski question."

For now, that question has been answered.