Phillies dismiss hitting coach Kevin Long and infield coach Bobby Dickerson

Crossing Broad reported that the Philadelphia Phillies will not retain hitting coach Kevin Long and infield coach Bobby Dickerson for the 2027 season.

The site attributed the information to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia and said both coaches were dismissed after a season in which the club’s offence fell into the bottom five across baseball in multiple major offensive categories.

The piece singled out the Phillies’ infield defence as an ongoing problem, saying it 'struggled again this year' and mentioning that Trea Turner reverted to below-average shortstop play in 2026 after showing defensive improvement in 2025.

The report said Kevin Long’s future had been uncertain for a couple years despite having helped some Phillies alter their approaches over time. Crossing Broad presented those personnel moves as part of a decision by the team’s leadership while noting that Don Mattingly was retained as manager. The article said Mattingly would speak to the media on Thursday via Zoom.

Crossing Broad also said Dave Dombrowski, the team president and general manager, will meet reporters at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday morning to discuss the coaching staff changes.

The story framed the changes as responses to offensive decline and persistent defensive issues, but it attributed evaluative language—such as the team's offensive ranking and defence 'struggled again this year'—to Crossing Broad's reporting and the Salisbury report rather than presenting them as independent findings.

The article did not provide statistical breakdowns beyond saying the franchise ranked in the bottom five in several major offensive categories, and it did not include statements from Long, Dickerson, Mattingly, Dombrowski, or the Phillies organization in full. Crossing Broad identified Luke Arcaini as its reporter and cited Salisbury as the source of the report.

Multiple headlines from other outlets echoed the same central claim that Kevin Long and Bobby Dickerson would not be retained, including The New York Times, Phillies Nation, Yahoo Sports, and MLB Trade Rumors.

Those headlines corroborate that news outlets published accounts of the staff changes, but Crossing Broad’s story is the only source here to provide the specific details about Mattingly’s retention and the planned media appearances by Mattingly and Dombrowski.

The coverage presents the moves as part of the club’s effort to address poor offensive performance and continuing infield defensive issues in 2026, and it sets two immediate follow-ups: Mattingly’s Zoom address and Dombrowski’s on-site meeting with reporters at Citizens Bank Park.