Phillies sign interim manager Thomson to two-year deal

The Philadelphia Phillies have removed the 'interim' title from Rob Thomson, agreeing to a two-year contract to make the Canadian the official manager of the team, per general manager Dave Dombrowski.

Thomson had served as the bench coach of the Phillies since 2018, and was promoted to interim manager when Joe Girardi was fired on June 3, 2022. 

After a disappointing 22-29 start to the season for what was considered a playoff contender, the Phillies fired Girardi and promoted Thomson - in 111 games after, the Phillies went 65-46, and rallied to claim a wild card spot in the playoffs.

Philadelphia swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild card series over the weekend and are set to begin a National League Division Series matchup with the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. 

Thomson played four years in the Detroit Tigers minor league system, from 1985-88. He joined the New York Yankees organization as a coach shortly after retiring from playing, and served various roles in the organization from 1990-2017. 

The Sarnia, Ont. native is a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.