Phillies Manager on Hot Seat, Top MLB Insider Claims

The Philadelphia Phillies' World Series hopes have taken a massive hit in recent days, dropping the first two games of the National League Division Series to the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Now one game from a second-straight early playoff exit, tensions in Philadelphia have never been higher. The lack of offensive production from star players has been a crucial issue for the club in recent October games, but reasonably, many fans are looking for a change at the top to correct the team's future direction.

The bullpen struggles, with veterans David Robertson and Matt Strahm playing a major role in the sour outcome of the game. Robertson was given the ball to start the seventh inning after getting the final out in the sixth, promptly letting two straight batters reach base, and Strahm, after getting the first two outs, allowed a backbreaking three-run home run to Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernandez that relinquished the lead, one that the team would be unable to get back.

A similar pattern of events unfolded in Game 2, in the same inning. Righthander Orion Kerkering allowed both of his inherited baserunners to score, plus one more, breaking the 0-0 tie, and Strahm allowed a 117 MPH single to MVP favorite Shohei Ohtani to finish off a four-run Dodgers inning.

While the players are often the first to bear the brunt of the blame, the manager's decision-making is often an immediate second. Many fans took issue with his short leash on ace Cristopher Sanchez in Game 1, with their concerns only amplified by his decision to use the 42-year-old Robertson across multiple innings.

Rob Thomson's Job Reportedly Not Safe

Thomson's decisions came under heavier fire after an incredibly questionable Game 2 managerial performance. At a relatively low pitch count in a 0-0 game, his choice to remove starter Jesus Luzardo from the game after allowing just two baserunners to begin the seventh inning instantly drew enraged responses from fans.

That verdict, as previously mentioned, also did not produce a positive outcome. For a plethora of fans, as they made abundantly clear through online spaces, the nail in Thomson's coffin came in the ninth inning. After the Phillies' offense cut the lead to just one, with Nick Castellanos on second base and no outs, he signaled second baseman Bryson Stott to bunt, an attempt that ended up with the heavy-footed Castellanos being thrown out at third; that proved to be costly as Philadelphia would fail to generate the tying run.

To the delight of said fans, the once-untouchable Thomson might not enter the 2025/2026 offseason with such a luxury.

On a stream on Bleacher Report's BR Walkoff, national MLB insider Jon Heyman expressed his claim that Thomson's seat isn't exactly cold.