2026 Transactions: Phillies Keep Mattingly, Astros Drop Espada

Over a week after the Astros and Phillies were eliminated in the 2026 Wild Card Round, both teams confirmed decisions on their managers. Don Mattingly will stay on as Phillies manager, while the Astros will look for someone new.

Mattingly named permanent manager

The Phillies announced that Don Mattingly has been named the permanent manager, as the club signed him to a new two-year deal.

Mattingly, who joined the Phillies as bench coach after a brief stint as a coach with the Blue Jays, took over from Rob Thomson after the latter was fired after a 10-19 start. But by the end of the season, Philadelphia went from tied for last to second in the NL East with an 88-74 record.

Philadelphia made the playoffs for the fifth straight year in 2026. The Braves eliminated the Phillies in the NL Wild Card Round.

Astros part ways with Espada

The Astros announced that manager Joe Espada will not be retained for the 2027 season. It opens up a second managerial spot across MLB, over two weeks after Seattle fired Dan Wilson after the 2026 season ended.

Espada, on the Astros’ coaching staff during their World Series title run in 2022, replaced Dusty Baker after the 2023 campaign. Under Espada, the Astros won two AL West titles (2024, 2026). But the club missed the playoffs in 2025, made it in 2026 with a .500 record, and didn’t advance past the AL Wild Card round in his tenure.

It’s also continuing a theme of change in Houston. Back in August, the club parted ways with general manager Dana Brown before his contract expired at the end of 2026.

Other notes

In player-related news, Derek Law (Diamondbacks), Payton Henry (Phillies), and Joel Payamps (Braves) all elected free agency.