Carlos Mendoza withdrew his name from 1 MLB manager job before joining Phillies

Former New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza is now with the Philadelphia Phillies after being hired as the team’s third base coach.

However, Mendoza was a candidate for the Seattle Mariners managerial opening, according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN. Castillo added that Mendoza withdrew his name from the job and then landed with the Phillies.

Carlos Mendoza was a candidate for the Mariners’ managerial job before withdrawing his name to become the Phillies’ third base and infield coach, sources told ESPN. The Mariners and Astros are currently the two teams looking for a manager.

— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) October 17, 2026

Mendoza was in his third year as the Mets manager before being fired at the end of June. The Phillies also had a decision to make after Don Mattingly was the interim manager following the firing of Rob Thomson during the season.

The Phillies then stuck with Mattingly after Alex Cora decided not to coach in 2027, and the former Boston Red Sox manager was expected to be the top target for Philadelphia.

The Mariners had an opening after Dan Wilson was fired following the final regular-season game. Seattle had Torey Lovullo on their list, but he stuck around with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Mendoza decided not to go further in the Mariners’ process and instead went to Philadelphia, and he could be next in line if the Phillies move on from Mattingly at some point in the next year or two.