Phillies' lazy Don Mattingly reunion could spare Cubs one coaching staff loss

Once Alex Cora took his name out of the running to be the next manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, the impression was that the Phillies could simply run it back with Don Mattingly. It was a strange thought, considering it felt like the magic of Don Mattingly wore off by the time the Phillies were eliminated in the Wild Card round, but it's the one they are moving forward with.

Mattingly is returning to the Phillies on a two-year deal, and that is one potential option off the table for Chicago Cubs' bench coach Ryan Flaherty. Flaherty has been a rising candidate for managerial vacancies in recent years, and after being a rumored finalist for jobs with the San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles last year, the expectation was that he would be able to find a spot as a manager this offseason.

Phillies' questionable Don Mattingly reunion could quietly protect Cubs' coaching staff

At one point, it felt like this could an offseason with a number of high-profile jobs open. There was speculation at the start of the season that teams like the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Phillies could all be looking for a manager.

That hasn't exactly been the case. Both the Red Sox and Mets have removed the interim labels from the managers that took over for them during the season, and Aaron Boone will be back with the Yankees in 2027.

That leaves the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros as the only two teams currently without a manager. The Mariners appear to be moving along in their search, and have already interviewed former Astros manager Joe Espada. There's been no word of Flaherty being a candidate.

The Astros confirmed Espada's departure on Wednesday, but there isn't exactly a direct tie to Houston for Flaherty. That wasn't the case last offseason, considering he spent most of his playing days with the Orioles, and was the Padres' bench coach before moving over to the Cubs.

It has yet to be revealed if there will be any changes to Craig Counsell's coaching staff this offseason. Outside of Flaherty potentially leaving to become a manager elsewhere, there has been speculation surrounding pitching coach Tommy Hottovy's status, considering the shortcomings of pitching development over the past couple of years.

As of now, Flaherty and Hottovy appear to be the only question mark, but we won't know for certain until the Cubs manager an announcement.

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