Could Don Mattingly's prior relationship with Bo Bichette lure the star free agent to the Philadelphia Phillies?
The Philadelphia Phillies made a tremendous coaching hire on Monday, officially announcing Don Mattingly as the team’s new bench coach for the 2026 season.
Of course, Mattingly has a legendary career with the New York Yankees, but he also has quite the coaching resume, too. The 64-year-old served as the skipper of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2011-2015 and the Miami Marlins from 2016-2022.
Mattingly also spent time on the Toronto Blue Jays staff and was part of the team that won the American League and reached the World Series in 2025.
Bringing in the future Hall of Famer will only help the Phillies on their quest to win a championship in 2026.
However, there may be another layer to this signing. Could Philadelphia's addition of Mattingly help them land one of the most talented and sought-after bats on the free agent market?
Apr 16, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (11) smiles in the dugout before the start of the game against the Atlanta Braves at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn ImagesEarlier this week, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Phillies were interested in top-tier free agent Bo Bichette. He would fit tremendoously at the top of Philadelphia’s lineup with Trae Turner, Bryce Harper, and Kyle Schwarber.
Understandably, there is quite a strong market for Bichette, considering he’s only 27 and has a career OPS of .806, and the Phillies may have to do something to separate themselves from the other interested teams, and bringing in Mattingly may be that separator.
Heyman also reported that Bichette and Heyman have a “terrific” relationship with one another.
“Mattingly has terrific longstanding relationship with Phillies manager Rob Thomson. He is also said to have an excellent relationship with star free agent Bo Bichette (although it is fair to say that coaches/managers don’t usually determine 9-figure free agent signings),” Heyman wrote.
Bichette's previous relationship with Philadelphia's new bench coach is an interesting piece to the star's free agency. But as Heyman notes, a previous connection may not correlate to a player getting a mega contract.
Maybe adding Mattingly to the coaching staff is part of Philadelphia’s pitch to Bichette, or perhaps it’s a separate move. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see where Bichette ends up signing and if the Phillies will be the team that lands the elite bat.