October 07, 2026
Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images
Alex Cora has twice turned down a chance to manage the Phillies.
The Phillies will be looking for their next new manager in the coming days and weeks, but it appears they've already missed out on their top target – again.
Former Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who turned down the job in April after the Phillies fired Rob Thomson 28 games into the season, has reportedly rejected the team again, per MLB Insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Nightengale wrote that Cora plans to take 2027 off like he did this summer after being fired by the Sox early into the season. He's still under contract from Boston in 2027, collecting paychecks to not manage.
Cora and Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski worked together years ago in Boston. Dombrowski, who ran baseball operations there, hired Cora as his manager prior to the 2018 season. The Red Sox won 108 games that year and the World Series.
Adding to the story, Matt Gelb and Jayson Stark from The Athletic reported that the Phillies could make Don Mattingly the permanent manager after Mattingly presided over the Phillies' remarkable turnaround as the interim.
The Phils went 79-55 under Mattingly to get the third and final NL Wild Card spot before exiting to the Braves in the NL Wild Card series.
Here's what Gelb and Stark wrote about the Phillies' thinking:
They could conduct a wider search for their next manager. Or they could turn to Don Mattingly for another season, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to freely discuss internal organizational matters. Everything remains on the table. The Phillies, technically, do not currently have a manager." [The Athletic]
Mattingly, who joined the Phillies in 2026 to be Thomson's bench coach, still has a year left on his contract. Even if he doesn't become manager, he could remain with the organization. His son, Preston, is the team's general manager.
Complicating matters is the impending owner-imposed lockout that is expected to begin Dec. 1. Surely, the Phillies would want their new manager named and helping with decision-making before the prolonged labor dispute begins.
That could be another advantage for the incumbent Mattingly, who is already aware of the team's makeup. It could be a very unpopular move among the fan base that craves major change for an organization that has made the postseason five straight years but just had its shortest playoff stint in that span.
In a recent PhillyVoice poll, more than 60 percent of those surveyed answered "yes" to this question: Should the Phillies move on from manager Don Mattingly?
The switch to Mattingly in April gained some traction as the Phillies immediately reversed course. Their 21-7 August – a franchise best – added to the good graces, but the Phillies predictably fell into old habits during a 10-14 September and then into a mistake-plagued three-game playoff series against Atlanta.
When discussing Thomson's firing in an April press conference, Dombrowski wasn't shy about his affinity for Cora.
"I think Alex Cora is one of the finest managers in the game of baseball,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to work with Hall of Fame managers like Tony La Russa and Jim Leyland. I've been very fortunate in my career. I think if Alex Cora decides to keep managing, he has a chance to be in that same category. That’s how good he is.”
Dombrowski said he thought Cora might accept the offer but Cora decided to spend the rest of the summer with his family.
Sounds like Cora still isn't interested in managing the Phillies or any another team in 2027.
Maybe he just has somebody on the other line about some white walls?
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