Phillies turn page on Alex Cora, weigh Don Mattingly and big-name manager options

The Philadelphia Phillies have to pivot in their managerial search. Former Boston Red Sox skipper Alex Cora has taken himself out of the running for the job and plans to spend next season with his family instead. His contract with Boston runs through next year, and he intends to use that time as a mid-career break, confident that more opportunities will be available down the road.

Top Phillies executive Dave Dombrowski previously hired Cora in Boston and is known to have a close relationship with him. Dombrowski acknowledged he reached out to Cora back in April, after Rob Thomson was dismissed, but Cora declined then as well. A reunion this offseason had long appeared likely, yet with Cora stepping away for a full year, Philadelphia’s search has moved in a different direction.

Mattingly offers familiarity amid possible labour turbulence

The most straightforward choice is already in the dugout. Interim manager Don Mattingly took over after Thomson’s firing and guided the club to a 79-55 record and a wild-card spot. The front office must now decide whether that performance, and the relationships he has built, are enough to remove the interim tag.

The broader labour landscape could work in Mattingly’s favour. The current collective bargaining agreement expires at the start of December, and a lockout of players is viewed as a real possibility, which would prevent direct contact between managers and players. A shortened spring training, similar to 2022, would leave little time for a newcomer to establish trust and routines. Mattingly already knows the clubhouse, a significant edge in a compressed timeline.

External candidates range from experienced skippers to bold swings

If the Phillies look outside, Rocco Baldelli stands out as a prominent option. Now a special assistant in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ front office, he managed the Minnesota Twins from 2019 through 2025, winning four AL Central titles and making three postseason trips. A former outfielder who faced Philadelphia in the 2008 World Series with the Tampa Bay Rays, Baldelli brings both playing and managerial experience and has been praised for his communication skills.

David Ross is another name on the market. Let go by the Chicago Cubs when they pivoted to Craig Counsell, Ross managed Chicago from 2020 to 2023 and reached the playoffs once. The former catcher checks a box many teams value in a manager, and his broadcasting work has given him additional exposure to the media demands that come with leading a big-market club.

Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Rodney Linares, whose coaching career dates back to 1999 in the minors, largely with the Houston Astros, would bring a lengthy development background and experience with analytically driven organizations. He has also managed the Dominican Republic on the international stage at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Linares comes from a baseball family as the son of longtime Astros figure Julio Linares.

Detroit Tigers bench coach George Lombard Sr. offers a similar blend of player development and big-club experience. After parts of six seasons as a major-league player, he coached in the minors for Boston and Atlanta and later served as first base coach for the Dodgers from 2016 to 2020. His ties to the next generation of players are personal as well: his eldest son, George Jr., is a shortstop in the New York Yankees system, and his youngest, Jacob, was a first-round pick by the Miami Marlins.

Two of the most high-profile names lack significant major-league managing time but carry star power. Carlos Beltrán briefly held the New York Mets job before stepping down in the wake of the Astros sign-stealing scandal and now works in the Mets’ front office. He was expected to draw consideration when they filled their own vacancy before Andy Green was retained. Albert Pujols has never coached or managed in MLB but led Leones del Escogido to a Caribbean Series title in 2024 and managed the Dominican Republic at this spring’s World Baseball Classic, after interviewing with the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels last winter.

With Cora officially out of the picture, the Phillies enter the offseason weighing continuity against a fresh voice. Whether they stay with Mattingly or turn to an external candidate, the decision will shape the direction of a roster built to contend in the near term.