PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Dave Dombrowski believed in Don Mattingly so much he told the interim manager following the Philadelphia Phillies' elimination that he was the leading candidate to get the full-time job in 2027.
Still, the team's president of baseball operations wanted to poke around other options, just in case.
After checking in on other potential candidates — including getting rebuffed for a second time this year by former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora — Dombrowski had some good news over the weekend for Mattingly: He was the manager.
“The first time the job was offered to anybody was Saturday, when I offered it to Don,” Dombrowski said Thursday.
Philadelphia gave Mattingly a two-year deal even after a late-season collapse nearly cost the team a playoff spot. The Phillies almost blew a four-game lead for a wild card in the final week of the regular season, then lost in three games to the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card Series.
Mattingly did go 79-55 and earned the respect of a veteran team that largely pushed to have him return following his promotion from bench coach after Rob Thomson was fired in April
The Phillies’ core of Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola have made five straight playoff appearances and averaged 91 wins per year during that stretch.
They just haven't won the World Series.
There are plenty of changes ahead — Dombrowski touched on many during a 60-minute season-ending news conference — but the constant will be in the dugout.
“Last year really wasn't my team,” Mattingly said on a video call. “It was Thomps' team. I took over from that point and just kind of just drove the car from there.”
He added: “I think there are things that I want to do differently.”
Just how much can Dombrowski and Mattingly do to lead the Phillies — who had a $284.7 million opening day payroll — and their aging cast of stars to their first World Series title since 2008, especially with a work stoppage almost certain in December?
Trea Turner hit .242 with a .675 OPS with a league-worst 21 errors at shortstop in his fourth season with the Phillies. He went 1 for 10 in the playoffs and still has seven years left on his $300 million, 11-year deal, all but making him immovable in the trade market.
Dombrowski told Turner during a Tuesday meeting at Citizens Bank Park that he needs to show in spring training he can play at shortstop or else the veteran could potentially move to the outfield.
“He needs to fix some things with his swing,” Dombrowski said. “From a defensive perspective we were very clear. He knows he has to be better at shortstop. I told him it's really mandatory that it's like that.”
Turner took the blame after the Phillies were eliminated by the Braves and noted “I've got a lot of work to do” to regain the form he had in 2025, when he led the NL in hitting and made only eight errors.
“He's determined to show us he can play it,” Dombrowski said. “I said, you have to show it. You cannot play shortstop like you did defensively in ‘26 going to ’27.”
The Phillies fired hitting coach Kevin Long and infield coach Bobby Dickerson.
They hired former New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza as their new infield coach and third base coach. Mendoza was fired by the Mets in June. He had spent 15 seasons working for the New York Yankees, the last four as bench coach, before the Mets hired him to replace Buck Showalter after the 2023 season.
Left-handed reliever Tim Mayza and the Phillies agreed to a $2.75 million, one-year contract. He had a 3.48 ERA in 67 1/3 innings in his first season with the Phillies. He even started six games as an opener.
Several Phillies face uncertain futures
Third baseman Alec Bohm is eligible for free agency, as is second baseman Luis Arraez. Bohm ended the season on a hot streak and finished with 88 RBIs and a .698 OPS. He won Game 2 against Atlanta with a two-out homer in the 10th inning. Arraez, acquired at the trade deadline, missed the playoffs with a sprained left ankle.
The Phillies have prized infielder prospect Aidan Miller cleared to play and ready to compete for a spot on the roster after he missed most of 2026 with a back injury.
The 70-year-old Dombrowski enters the final year of his contract in 2027 but expects to stick around beyond that with the Phillies.
“I enjoy it, (I'm) healthy, have quality people around me,” Dombrowski said.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
FILE - Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski speaks during a news conference before a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, April 28, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Open enrollment for Medicare plans begins Thursday and enrollees will face a slew of changes that go into effect in 2027.
During the enrollment period, which ends Dec. 7, people will have the opportunity to choose between traditional Medicare and privately run Medicare Advantage plans in their area, as well as prescription drug plans. Those changes go into effect on Jan. 1.
Open enrollment also comes as inflation adds pressure on seniors whose healthcare costs have risen and as midterm elections are weeks away. Voters have consistently said that the cost of living is a major concern heading into the elections.
The Medicare enrollment period also comes as the Social Security Administration announced Wednesday that the annual cost-of-living adjustment for older adults and people with disabilities will go up by 3.6% beginning in 2027, which translates to $75 extra per month for the nearly 72 million people who receive monthly Social Security benefits and about 7.3 million beneficiaries who get Supplemental Security Income.
New changes to Medicare coming in 2027 include higher Part D out-of-pocket caps, the end of temporary federal Part D premium subsidies, and new drug price negotiations.
Juliette Cubanski, director of KFF’s program on Medicare policy, said the open enrollment period offers enrollees “an opportunity to evaluate the coverage they have and see if there might be better options for them in terms of accessing the care that they need at possibly a lower cost.”
Here are a few of the biggest changes:
The cap on annual out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare Part D drugs will increase to $2,400, up from $2,100 in 2026, and the standard deductible will increase from $615 to $700.
The temporary Part D premium subsidy will also end early.
The Trump administration concludes at year’s end a temporary Medicare Part D subsidy program that has helped offset premiums.
It was initially implemented by former President Joe Biden's administration in 2024 to lower patients’ Medicare Part D prescription drug costs in response to the effects of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has projected only modest price increases for most people. CMS did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment.
David Lipschutz, co-director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, points out that there could be greater disruptions in coverage for some Medicare enrollees since some Medicare Advantage plans are pulling out of specific geographic areas and scaling back benefits, such as dental coverage, while potentially increasing cost-sharing.
Plans, insurance companies make business decisions about what they’re going to offer the following year, if they’re going to offer anything at all. And by that very nature, it causes disruption to the system. And it looks like this time there’s more disruption than usual.
New Medicare-negotiated prices, part of a Biden-era law that allows the haggling for Medicare, will go into effect for 15 drugs, including weight-loss and diabetes medications Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy.
Additionally, Trelegy Ellipta, Xtandi, Pomalyst, Ibrance, Ofev, Linzess, Calquence, Austedo/Austedo XR, Breo Ellipta, Tradjenta, Xifaxan, Vraylar, Janumet/Janumet XR, and Otezla will be covered by Medicare as of Jan. 1.
CMS expects the change to lower prescription drug coverage for people enrolled in Medicare by $685 million in 2027.
AARP’s Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer Nancy LeaMond said in a statement that “higher healthcare costs are making it harder for older Americans to afford the care they need."
“It’s more important than ever to shop around, compare your options, and choose the coverage that’s best for you," she said.
Along with the changes, President Donald Trump in recent weeks made a series of promises to Medicare enrollees and retirees.
Last week, Trump said his administration will make one-time payments of $90 per person in October to help more than 20 million Medicare enrollees — or less than one third of enrollees — pay for their Part B premiums. It will cost about $2 billion.
Not eligible are roughly 35 million Medicare Advantage enrollees, millions of other people with disabilities and low-income Medicare recipients.
According to the CMS website, eligible beneficiaries will receive one $90 rebate this month, with most getting a direct deposit. Others will receive a paper check from the Treasury Department later in October.
Trump also announced recently that roughly 1 million people would get rebate checks of $500 for Affordable Care Act premiums.
FILE - A Medicare Advantage PPO card rests on top of a Medicare card in Portland, Ore., June 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
