Phillies Expected To Beat Out Rivals To Hire Alex Cora as Manager

Alex Cora is drawing a lot of interest, but the Philadelphia Phillies are considered the favorites.

Mar 30, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora walks to the mound for a pitching change during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies were one of several teams to make a managerial change during the 2026 MLB regular season.

However, unlike some of their peers, such as the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets, the Phillies have thrived. Under Don Mattingly, the team has thrived, turning into one of the best squads in baseball.

Given how well Philadelphia has performed, it is fair for people to wonder if Mattingly would be considered for the job permanently; he is currently operating as the interim manager in place of Rob Thomson, who was fired when the team was 9-19.

However, regardless of what Mattingly achieves leading the Phillies, the long-term job doesn’t sound like it will be going to him. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports, Philadelphia is expected to circle back to Alex Cora and bring him aboard.

Phillies are the favorites to land Alex Cora as manager

Feb 22, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) looks on from the dugout during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Cora was fired by the Red Sox, the Phillies reportedly reached out and asked if he would take over their job. He declined, but that sounds like it will change when the offseason rolls around and more teams pursue him.

Nightingale added that their National League East rivals, the Mets, would love to bring Cora aboard as their manager, but it isn’t expected to be in the cards.

“While the New York Mets would love to hire Alex Cora as their next manager, Cora still is expected to join the Phillies after rejecting their offer to replace Rob Thomson, who the club fired on April 28. The Phillies instead turned to Don Mattingly. Hall of Famer Carlos Beltran is the favorite for the Mets’ vacancy when interim manager Andy Green returns to the front office this winter,” Nightengale wrote.

Philadelphia recently picked up a nice series win over their rivals, and it sounds as if they are going to pick up another victory over them in the Cora sweepstakes this offseason.

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— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 5, 2026

It doesn’t come as too big of a surprise, given some of the connections he has to the Phillies franchise, namely Dave Dombrowski. He was leading the Boston front office when Cora was hired as manager ahead of the 2018 season, when the Red Sox won the World Series.

Cora has experienced a ton of success as a Big League manager, all of which was spent with Boston. He has a 620-541 regular season record and a record of 18-10 in the postseason. However, the team never got close to winning another title after that first year at the helm.

Philadelphia looks like an ideal landing spot for Cora, given the current state of the franchise as a club looking to win now. His championship experience will certainly be helpful to have in the dugout should a deal get completed to bring him aboard.