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PHILADELPHIA -- Phillies general manager Pat Gillick says he may or may not leave the team when his contract runs out next season.

That's in contrast to comments he made earlier this week that seemed to indicate he wouldn't return after 2008.

"I think the reporter kind of got a little over zealous," Manuel said on XM Radio's "Baseball this Morning" program. "We were talking about Charlie Manuel's contract because it's running out at the end of the season, and he asked about my contract, and I told him it ends at the end of next year and I'll probably retire or do something else ... it wasn't any big deal. They're trying to make a big deal more than it is. It's basically my contract is running out and I don't know right now. There is a possibility it could go past next year..."

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Daily News reported that Gillick doesn't plan to remain with the team after his three-year contract expires.

"This is it for me," Gillick said in the Daily News. "I'll fulfill my contract. It's time to think about doing some other things in life."

The longtime baseball man will be 71 by the time his contract is up. He wasn't immediately available to reporters before the Phillies played Atlanta.

Gillick's situation could affect Manuel, who is in the final season of his contract. Manuel has done an outstanding job keeping an injury-depleted team in the playoff race.

The Phillies trail San Diego by one game for the NL wild-card lead and trail the East-leading Mets by two games.

Manuel insists he's not concerned about his job status, and he won't talk about a contract extension until after the season.

"It's not about me," he said. "It's about the team. I don't have to worry about anything else."

Assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is widely considered the most likely candidate to replace Gillick. Amaro's contract is up after this season, and he has interviewed for other jobs.

Gillick brought a winning pedigree to Philadelphia when he replaced Ed Wade after the 2005 season. His impressive resume as a general manager includes two World Series titles with Toronto, seven division championships and nine playoff appearances with three teams -- the Blue Jays, Baltimore and Seattle. If the Phillies make it to the postseason, he'll be 4-for-4 guiding clubs to the playoffs.

Gillick has come under heavy scrutiny for a few of his personnel decisions. His biggest mistake was trading for Freddy Garcia last offseason. The two-time All-Star righty was 1-5 before needing season-ending shoulder surgery. Garcia cost the Phillies $10 million this season.

Gillick's two biggest free-agent acquisitions last offseason -- third baseman Wes Helms and catcher Rod Barajas -- didn't pan out, either. Both were relegated to bench duty down the stretch.

Some of Gillick's best moves involved utility players and relievers. Left-hander J.C. Romero, signed in June after he was released by Boston, has been the Phillies' most dependable reliever. Third baseman Greg Dobbs and outfielder Jayson Werth, both signed in the offseason, have been valuable role players.

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report