For now, at least, the Phillies will have two general managers working under Dave Dombrowski, the club’s president of baseball operations. This unusual arrangement, which was announced late on a Friday when the Phillies promoted Preston Mattingly as Sam Fuld transitions to a job leading the franchise’s business side, is confusing.

It is a transition that will happen over 16 months — and it still could result in Fuld, seen as the eventual successor to Dombrowski whenever he steps aside from running the Phillies, atop the whole organization years from now.

But, for now, Dombrowski has two general managers.

“I don’t have a specific timeframe when all this stuff takes place,” Dombrowski said Friday. “It’s just going to gradually happen. I mean, for example, as we’re going to the Winter Meetings, Sam and Preston will both be involved with talking to clubs and trade conversations. As well as other people in the organization. As we go towards spring training, we’ll see how much time Sam can actually spend in spring training with some of his other responsibilities. But because of the working relationship between the three of us and the communication, I think it will come naturally to us.”

Fuld, 42, started pursuing a business degree at the University of Pennsylvania earlier this year. He will become the Phillies’ president of business operations upon graduating in May 2026. For Fuld, who had been a big-league player and coach — and even interviewed to be a manager — it’s a career shift that could put him in a better position to assume control of the Phillies later.

Before the Phillies hired Dombrowski, the club had never had separate presidents of baseball and business operations. The organization always had a team president who oversaw all baseball and business decisions. That, for decades, was David Montgomery. While owner John Middleton has taken a more active role in the day-to-day operations as CEO, the Phillies may return to a more traditional arrangement whenever Dombrowski steps aside.

Dombrowski is under contract through 2027.

Fuld plans to stay involved in baseball matters — just on a lesser scale. A move from the baseball to the business side typically implies a demotion. In this case, it could be the opposite.

The Phillies see this as a way to groom two up-and-coming executives.

“Sam and Preston are two of the best young people in the game,” Dombrowski said. “They’re outstanding in every respect. We (all) have a good relationship. As we kind of looked towards the future, we said, ‘Well, how will all of this work out?’ Sam, who is multitalented in many different ways, has also got a great scope beyond the baseball operations. And Preston, in his situation, is ready for that growth. It’s a great situation for us and for them.”

Dave Dombrowski and Sam Fuld talk during spring training. (Nathan Ray Seebeck / Imagn Images)

While Fuld was GM, all major decisions ran through Dombrowski. Fuld assisted on transactions and negotiations. But many of his responsibilities focused on everything but the 26-man roster.

Mattingly, 37, is considered a rising star in the sport and he aspired to become a GM. The Phillies hired Mattingly to oversee the minor leagues before the 2022 season, then promoted him to assistant GM before the 2024 season to prevent him from being poached by other clubs.

He is a former first-round pick who didn’t have the playing career his father, Don, had. But he’s found success in a front office.

“I’m very excited about the role,” Mattingly said. “Honestly, I just love baseball. It means so much to me. It’s been in my life since I was born. Any aspect of the game I’m interested in — whether it’s minor-league free agency or player development, R&D — everything’s always been of interest to me. When Dave approached me with this, I was obviously very excited to get to work with the people we have in the organization. They challenge you every single day. We all share the same vision of helping the Philadelphia Phillies achieve our ultimate goal, which is to win the World Series.”

Luke Murton, hired by Mattingly a few years ago to run the minor-league hitting program, will become director of player development. Edwar Gonzalez was promoted to the director of hitting development. Mattingly is expected to still have an active influence in the farm system.

Fuld will eventually replace Dave Buck, a longtime Phillies business executive who is retiring at the end of December. The Phillies have not said who will run the business side in the interim until Fuld finishes his degree. Middleton will assume some of those responsibilities.

No one ever said it aloud, but when Fuld went from a lower-level department head to GM under Dombrowski, those across baseball saw it as a way to prepare him to take over down the line.

There is a bigger plan at play.

“Baseball has been my heart and soul my whole life,” Fuld said. “I loved the game ever since I’ve whacked a couple of Wiffle balls off the tee at age 3. I fell in love with the game at that point and I’ve never lost any love for it.

“We spoke about the medium-term and longer-term opportunities that may come with this down the road. I’m never going to lose that love for the game. I’m incredibly excited about what lies ahead on the business side. But this is not a signal that I have suddenly lost an interest in helping the Phillies win the World Series.”

(Top image photos: Preston Mattingly: Miles Kennedy / The Phillies; Sam Fuld: Kim Klement / Imagn Images)