PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have signed manager Rob Thomson to a one-year contract extension through the 2025 season after he led the team to two straight trips to the NL Championship Series.
The 60-year-old Thomson has a 155-118 record since the veteran bench coach replaced Joe Girardi as Phillies manager on June 3, 2022. Thomson led the Phillies to the 2022 World Series, where they lost in six games to the Houston Astros. The Phillies returned to the NLCS this season but blew series leads of 2-0 and 3-2 with Games 6 and 7 at home against Arizona.
Thomson led the Phillies to a 90-72 record in 2023 and their first 90-win season since 2011. This past October he became only the third manager in MLB history to win 18 of his first 25 postseason games, joining Hall of Famers Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel.
Thomson has been with the club since the 2018 season when he was first hired as bench coach under former manager Gabe Kapler.
Thomson had said he planned to retire after the 2022 season until he was promoted to the manager’s job. Thomson said after this season he had no plans to quit and intended to manage as long as the Phillies wanted him.
With Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber among the sluggers returning in 2024, the Phillies again seem primed to contend for the World Series. The Phillies had 10-1 odds Monday to win the 2024 World Series, per FanDuel SportsBook.
The Phillies signed ace Aaron Nola to a $172 million, seven-year deal last month.
“We’ve got a good ball club,” Thomson said after the Phillies were eliminated in the NLCS. “But our goal isn’t to get to the playoffs. Our goal is always to win the World Series.”
The Phillies last won the World Series in 2008.
Thomson spent 28 years as a member of the New York Yankees organization (1990-2017), including 10 seasons on the major league coaching staff as bench coach (2008, 2015-17) and third base coach (2009-14).
The Phillies also hired Dustin Lind and Rafael Peña as assistant hitting coaches.
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