“I’m comfortable with whatever they want to do.” Don Mattingly had no set conditions for returning to the Philadelphia Phillies next year, but the offseason may still determine his chances. After Alex Cora declined twice, Mattingly re-emerged as a candidate. Despite guiding Philadelphia through a remarkable turnaround after its disastrous 9-19 start, Mattingly was initially left waiting for an extension as the franchise explored other options. Now, with rejection complicating the search, a reunion seems increasingly plausible.

But there may be more to the decision than meets the eye.

Since Mattingly took over, the Phillies’ 79-55 record is even more impressive given their offensive and bullpen weaknesses, 19th in runs, 21st in ERA. However, former outfielder Ruben Amaro Jr. has offered a crucial caveat, suggesting that Mattingly’s future could hinge on how Philadelphia approaches the offseason.

“If he doesn’t feel like they’re going to make some significant change, which I think this sort of team needs, then he may not be willing to roll and run it back. Because if they’re going to run it back, quote unquote, I don’t know that he’s going to want to be at the helm of a team that’s running it back,” The Phillies Show quoted Amaro Jr.

A team with a fourth-highest payroll in the league and still failing to go beyond the Wild Card series demands a hard reset.

The Phillies’ 21st-ranked bullpen (4.43 ERA, 1.360 WHIP) blew 23 saves, including the Wild Card Game 1 lead. In Game 1 against the Atlanta Braves, the Phillies held a late lead. But the relief core failed to protect it.

Closer Jhoan Duran and rookie Alex McFarlane both allowed critical runs in Game 1, costing the Phillies the lead. The loss immediately put the Phillies on the brink of elimination.

Philadelphia not making changes in the offseason means Mattingly may never agree to run it back.

The Phillies’ preference to get Cora on board may be another reason for Mattingly to not return.

“I think Alex Cora is one of the finest managers in the game of baseball,” Phillies president Dave Dombrowski said back in April.

Now, as Cora rejected the offer citing his personal preference, the team running it back to Mattingly may not sound good to the Phillies’ interim manager.

Yet, the clubhouse’s support may work in favor of getting Mattingly back.

“We love Don,” Aaron Nola said.

“I felt like he did a great job for us when we were in that tough spot,” Kyle Schwarber added.

“Donnie was great,” J.T. Realmuto shared.

With elite players publicly backing Mattingly, a reunion is possible, but only if the Phillies make significant offseason moves.

Mattingly is under contract for next season. The Phillies face an awkward dynamic if they hire someone else. Demoting him back to bench coach or shifting him to an advisory role while a new manager tries to command the dugout could unintentionally create fractured authority.

Thus, stripping the “interim” tag from Mattingly keeps the coaching hierarchy clean and seamless.

It’s still on Dombrowski to decide the final name for the next season.