Phillies reup coaching staff with one vacancy, new role originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Phillies’ coaching staff will look largely familiar in 2026 — except for one key addition. With Mike Calitri transitioning into a new Major League field coordinator role, the club plans to hire an experienced bench coach from outside the organization to work alongside Rob Thomson.
“Managers use bench coaches in different fashions during a game,” Dave Dombrowski said at Thursday’s end-of-season press conference. “I think it would be ideal to have somebody that maybe has had some managerial experience or that-type of role. But we think Cal is perfect for that [field-coordinator] role. He’s done such a good job in so many ways.”
Thomson agreed: “It was Dave’s idea,” he said. “But I thought it was a good one — another set of eyes, a different perspective.”
He emphasized that chemistry will drive the hire: “Absolutely. Not only with myself but with the rest of the staff. The staff is so good — we’re just trying to add one more guy to make it even a little bit better.”
Thomson’s postseason regrets help explain the motivation. He pointed to a pair of decisions in Game 1 of the NLDS — having David Robertson come in after a long “up-down” and using Matt Strahm mid-inning rather than with a clean frame — as moments he’d reconsider. “We didn’t check that box,” he said. “Would it have made a difference? I don’t know. But if we’d checked that box, I could sleep a little bit better.”
Those small margins express the value of another experienced voice in the dugout — not because Calitri fell short, but because the Phillies want to keep evolving.
The rest of the staff is expected to return. Pitching coach Caleb Cotham and hitting coach Kevin Long remain cornerstones, and both — like Thomson — trace part of their baseball DNA to the Yankees. Thomson spent 27 years in New York’s organization and coached under Joe Girardi, who later managed the Phillies. Cotham was drafted by the Yankees in 2009 and made his big-league debut with them six years later. Long served as the Yankees’ hitting coach from 2007-14.
That shared lineage doesn’t make this a Yankees reunion — but it hints at the kind of profile Philadelphia could target: someone who’s been in the fire and can serve as Thomson’s trusted in-game partner.
Possible fits who check those boxes — managerial experience and familiarity with Thomson’s era of the Yankees, as well as playing days — include Tony Peña, Willie Randolph, DeMarlo Hale, Al Pedrique, and Bobby Meacham. Each has managed or coached at the Major or Minor League level and carries a strong reputation
Why the rest of the staff isn’t changing
There’s bound to be noise about why the Phillies didn’t make broader coaching changes after another NLDS exit. But both Dombrowski and Thomson made it clear — the organization remains confident in the group’s track record.
For Long, the body of work speaks loudly. Since he joined the Phillies before the 2022 season, the team ranks second in the Majors in batting average (.256), third in OPS (.753), fifth in runs per game (4.79), and fifth in batting average with runners in scoring position (.263).
The October numbers tell a different story — the Phillies are just 12-for-61 (.197) with runners in scoring position over their past two postseasons — but Long’s regular-season results and reputation across the league still carry weight inside the organization.
Dombrowski voiced confidence in Long entering his fifth season in the role, “Kevin Long is an exceptionally good hitting coach…I think we have a good hitting program.”
Cotham’s case is even clearer. Under his watch, the Phillies’ pitching staff has evolved into one of baseball’s best units. Over the last two seasons, Philadelphia starters own a 3.69 ERA, the lowest in the National League.
Extending Topper’s stay?
Ultimately, the Phillies view this winter’s adjustments as refinement, not reinvention — further evidence of Dombrowski’s trust in his skipper.
“We believe in Rob and his staff,” Dombrowski said. “They’ve helped establish a winning culture here.”
For Thomson, who returns to manage in the final year of his contract, the feeling is mutual. He made clear he’d welcome a longer stay in Philadelphia.
“Oh, absolutely,” Thomson said. “The last four years have been the most fun of my career. It has to do with the people in the organization — players, staff, front office, the fan base, how I’m treated by [the media]. I feel like I’m treated very fairly. As long as I’m happy, my family’s happy, I’m having fun, and they want me, I’ll manage.”
