The Philadelphia Phillies’ search for a manager in 2027 took a clear turn Tuesday when Alex Cora informed the club he will sit out the season.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had spoken with Cora about the job, according to USA Today. Cora told him he is taking the year off.
“Dave Dombrowski, Phillies president of baseball operations, spoke with Cora about becoming their manager in 2027, but Cora informed Dombrowski he’s taking the season off,” a high-ranking Phillies executive with direct knowledge of their talks said.
The executive spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Phillies still have not decided who will manage their team.
It marked the second time this year Cora passed on Philadelphia. He declined an offer in April, saying he wanted to spend the rest of the summer with his family.
The Phillies fired Rob Thomson on April 28 after a 9-19 start that left them tied for the worst record in the majors. Bench coach Don Mattingly stepped in on an interim basis the same day.
Mattingly went 79-55 the rest of the way. The club finished 88-74, second in the National League East and six games behind the Atlanta Braves.
That record secured the third wild-card spot and a fifth straight postseason berth. The Phillies clinched on the final day of the regular season.
They then lost the National League Wild Card Series to the Braves, two games to one. Atlanta won Game 1 by 5-3, Philadelphia took Game 2 in 10 innings, and the Braves closed it out 6-2 in Game 3.
Cora remains under contract with his previous club for about $7.25 million in 2027. That is the final year of the three-year, $21.75 million extension he signed in July 2024, so money is not driving an immediate return.
Dombrowski and Cora worked together on the 2018 World Series championship team. Dombrowski has publicly called Cora one of the finest managers in the game.
Mattingly, 65, is still under contract with the organization through 2027, though the deal is for his role as bench coach rather than manager. He has said he would like to remove the interim label.
The Phillies have not announced a timeline for a permanent hire. Dombrowski said earlier this fall that the club preferred to wait until the season ended before deciding.
Cora, 50, is scheduled to marry in November. His twin sons turned 9 over the summer, and family time has remained central to his decision to stay away from the dugout.
With Cora out of the picture for next year, Philadelphia must sort through other options while evaluating whether Mattingly’s regular-season turnaround outweighs the early playoff exit.
The franchise has reached the postseason in each of the past five seasons but has not advanced past the Division Series since 2022. That record now sits in front of whoever takes the job.
