As the Philadelphia Phillies' slow start continues, there continues to be speculation about Rob Thomson's future as the team's skipper.
The Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox have a lot in common right now: Both teams have a collection of star players, both teams came into the season with World Series expectations, and both teams are at the bottom of their division one month into the season.
(Okay, technically, the Phillies are tied with the New York Mets for last in the National League East.)
The Red Sox took action after their slow start and fired their manager, Alex Cora, along with several other members of the coaching staff.
This move by Philadelphia's American League counterpart has many wondering if Rob Thomson's future with the Phillies is up in the air. In fact, the Phillies have already been linked as a potential landing spot for the recently let go of Cora.
Thomson was even asked about the speculation surrounding his job on Sunday, and was pretty honest about where his head is regarding his job security.
“Well, I mean, that’s natural, right? It’s normal. And I’ve never worried about that in my entire career," said Thomson on Sunday (quote via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com).
"I worked for a guy for 28 years [Yankees owner George Steinbrenner] who, as the ‘Seinfeld’ episode will tell you, ‘Fires people like it's a bodily function,’ and it never bothered me. It didn’t. I don't have time to think about it. I’m a person that thinks about other people and what can I do to help them. And it's out of my control. So that's where I'm at.”
Apr 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (49) walks off the mound during the fifth inning of the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn ImagesOf course, Thomson isn't going to come out and admit that he's constantly thinking about whether or not he's managed his final game for the Phillies. However, tying in his days with the Yankees and how the pressure and turnover there never bothered him really goes to show how the skipper feels.
For what it's worth, too, Dave Dombrwoski shared last week, before the Red Sox made their Alex Cora decision, that the team had no plans to move on from Thomson.
Time will only tell whether or not the Phillies choose to bring in a new voice after their 9-19 start. If they do, or if they don't, one thing is clear, and that's the Phillies as a team must start playing better in all aspects of the game: hitting, pitching, and fielding.
Will a new manager help with that? Who knows, and Thomson clearly isn't worried about it.
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