Not many people thought that the Philadelphia Phillies' 2025 season would end like this. With their absolutely shocking 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Thursday, the team with the second-best record in the majors this season is packing up to go home.
Some of these Phillies won't be returning next season. One whose future is cloudy is manager Rob Thomson. After three and a half seasons at the helm of one of the best regular season teams, the skipper found himself on the hot seat, at least in fans' eyes, during this short, doomed postseason run.
The Phillies' showing in the NLDS was disappointing to say the least. Even though they battled to win Game 3, another early postseason exit is unacceptable, regardless of the opponent. Combining this failure with last October's disastrous NLDS loss to the New York Mets, it appears that a major shakeup is inevitable.
Last year, hardly anything changed. Thomson and his coaching staff returned. Most of the roster remained untouched. That shouldn't be the case this time around. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal had already pointed to Thomson as one of the potential casualties (subscription required) in the event of another playoff flameout.
And here we are.
The MLB managerial carousel has already been turning. The San Francisco Giants, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels and Atlanta Braves already have managerial openings. Others like the Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles will be replacing their interim managers.
3 replacements for Rob Thomson as another early Phillies exit could jeopardize future
Who are the best available candidates with experience if the Phillies add their name to the list of teams searching for a new bench boss this offseason? According to Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic, there are some experienced "well-thought-of candidates" on the market (subscription required). So let's start there.
David Ross
David Ross managed the Chicago Cubs for four full seasons, from 2020 to 2023, posting a 262-284 record. He has the distinction of being the castoff when the Cubs shockingly hired Craig Counsell after the 2023 season.
Ross, a former catcher, received NL Manager of the Year votes in two of his seasons, finishing third in 2020 and seventh in 2023. His Cubs teams were active on the base paths and had the eighth-most steals (140) in 2023, one behind the Phillies.
Brandon Hyde
Brandon Hyde got his first managerial job in 2019 with the Orioles and compiled a 421-492 record before being fired this past May after starting out 15-28. He guided the Orioles to first-place in the AL East in 2023, racking up 101 wins and winning AL Manager of the Year. Despite making back-to-back postseasons in 2023 and 2024, his Orioles teams went 0-5 in playoff games.
Hyde has experience with top prospects, managing the likes of Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson. That might be important with the Phillies hoping to see some of their top young studs debut over the next couple of seasons.
Rocco Baldelli
Rocco Baldelli managed the Twins from 2019 through the end of the 2025 regular season, with a 527-505 record. He was let go after the season despite the team picking up his option for 2026 part way through the campaign.
Baldelli won 101 games in his first season at the Twins' helm and won AL Manager of the Year — he received votes in three other seasons as well. His teams finished first in the AL Central three times. In three trips to the playoffs, Baldelli's Twins went 3-8 in postseason play, reaching the ALDS in 2023.