Phillies Land Key Staff Replacement After Cardinals Rejection

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: The Philadelphia Phillies logo is seen on their on deck circle during the game against the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park on April 27, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Cubs won 5-1. (Photo by Brian Garfinkel/Getty Images)

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The Philadelphia Phillies are facing questions about how to get more out of a roster built to contend for a World Series after another year of disappointing results.

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After a brief postseason appearance, the club has started to answer those questions by making some significant changes to its coaching staff, signaling that its offensive struggles would not go unaddressed heading into next year.

The decision followed a significant downturn for a lineup that had been among baseball’s more productive units.

“While the Philadelphia Phillies committed to Don Mattingly as manager, they fired two members of the team’s coaching staff — hitting coach Kevin Long and infield coach Bobby Dickerson,” Matt Gelb reported for The Athletic. “The Phillies ranked no lower than sixth in the majors in slugging percentage during Long’s first four seasons with the club. They ranked 24th in 2026.”

Now, the Phillies have turned to a former Boston Red Sox coach to help address those offensive concerns, landing a candidate who chose the team over another National League offer.

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The Phillies have hired Peter Fatse as their new hitting coach. Fatse previously held the same position with Boston before being dismissed during an early season shakeup.

“Fatse most recently worked for the Red Sox, holding the same position from December 2021 until he — along with manager Alex Cora and other members of the coaching staff — was let go by Boston in April of this past season,” Paul Casella noted for MLB.com.

Fatse joined Boston as an assistant hitting coach after working in the Minnesota Twins organization. He subsequently took over as the Red Sox’s lead hitting coach, giving Philadelphia a replacement with several seasons of major-league experience in the role.

And the Phillies weren’t the only team to take an interest in Fatse.

“Pete had his choice between the Phillies and (St. Louis) Cardinals,” Baseball Isn’t Boring’s Rob Bradford reported, following news of the hire.

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Though the Phillies struggled last season, the job might have appealed to Fatse because of the chance to work with veteran sluggers like Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, while the Cardinals continue to rebuild around younger players. The Phillies will hope the new hire can help restore the offensive consistency that defined much of Long’s tenure and give Mattingly a stronger foundation for his first full season as manager.

The hiring also gives the Phillies an opportunity to bring a different approach to an offense that struggled to maintain its previous production.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

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