Alex Cora 2027 Decision Impact on Phillies, MLB Manager Cycle

After the Boston Red Sox moved on from former manager Alex Cora early in the 2026 season, the assumption around the league has been that he would be a candidate to manage the Philadelphia Phillies in 2027.

The Phillies tried to bring Cora in after moving on from Rob Thomson, but Cora opted to sit out the remainder of the 2026 season. Still, the Phillies have been heavily connected to him since. Plus, in general, Cora was viewed as the top manager available, which would've created an intriguing market this winter. But it has been shut down before it could even really begin. On Tuesday, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that the Phillies spoke with Cora about the manager job, but the former Red Sox manager has decided to take the 2027 season off.

"The Philadelphia Phillies have been spurned again by Alex Cora," Nightengale wrote. "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 told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Phillies still have not decided who will manage their team."

Cora's decision has a big impact around the league. Let's dive in.

Impact On The Philadelphia Phillies

Feb 27, 2026; North Port, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) looks on in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves during spring training at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Phillies have clearly had interest in Cora dating back to April. But they now have to go back to the drawing board. When Thomson was fired, Don Mattingly took over as the Phillies' interim manager and went 79-55 and made it into the postseason, although they were knocked out in the wild-card round. Both Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber shared high praise for Mattingly after the campaign came to a close.

Philadelphia will have to decide whether it wants to run it back with Mattingly, or look externally. A few manager options to keep an eye on this offseason are Albert Pujols, David Ross, Brandon Hyde, Bob Melvin and Rocco Baldelli, among many others.

Alex Cora's Impact On Offseason MLB Managerial Cycle

Cora's decision is going to have a big impact in general. Again, he arguably would've been the best overall manager out there for the taking this winter. Without him available, that changes the calculus. Again, a few guys to watch out for are Pujols, Ross, Hyde, Melvin and Baldelli, among others. Mattingly is under contract as a bench coach, so it will be interesting to see how he's handled in Philadelphia.

With Cora not going to Philadelphia, that seemingly would leave one of the most favorable jobs in the game open. It could always be Mattingly back in town, or they could look elsewhere. Beyond the Phillies, the Seattle Mariners are looking for a manager right now. The Houston Astros are a bit up in the air right now. The Los Angeles Angels are a team to watch, among others. With Cora off the board, that means that an elite option is gone and so there will be more competition for the top remaining options. For months, people around baseball talked about Cora and the Phillies as a foregone conclusion. Now, a top manager option is off the table and there's another team looking around trying to add.

It's going to be an interesting offseason in the managerial cycle, to say the least.

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