Much like Rob Thompson's heroic managerial effort in 2022, Don Mattingly has performed a tremendous escape act from the mess Thomson left for him in 2026. Assuming control of a 9-19 dumpster fire, Donnie Baseball has guided the Philadelphia Phillies to a 41-21 record, putting them right back in the thick of contention for the NL East title.
Of course, he wasn't the organization's first choice to replace Thomson. Instead, all eyes were on Alex Cora shortly following his dismissal from the Boston Red Sox, though the veteran manager opted to sit out the remainder of the 2026 season in order to assess his future options.
Now, that speculation is starting to heat up again, mostly thanks to the New York Mets' implosion and their decision to follow suit by firing manager Carlos Mendoza (albeit a few months too late). Though they'll likely factor into the Cora sweepstakes, it appears that the Phillies are the clear frontrunners to land the 2018 champion.
“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.”
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) July 5, 2026
-@BNightengale https://t.co/LAqrhDh004 pic.twitter.com/EpLmsRxMfF
Alex Cora is the perfect manager to deliver an encore to Don Mattingly's incredible turnaround
While Mattingly has done a tremendous job, he's been a temporary solution from the start. He said as much shortly after taking on the gig, claiming he wouldn't want to handle the responsibilities of a manager for an extended period of time. Perhaps the Phillies' success under his stewardship has changed his tune, but Cora is the clear and obvious long-term answer to fill this void.
Per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Phillies are "expected to hire Alex Cora," likely at the conclusion of the season. The national pundit also attached Carlos Beltran to the Mets' vacancy, which would be a hilarious reprisal of a role that he technically held for less than three months back in 2019-20.
It's not hard to see why Cora would prefer the Phillies' situation over the Mets. For one thing, the former is actually a playoff contender, which matters after the Craig Breslow-led debacle that the 14-year MLB vet had to deal with during the end of his tenure in Boston. Likewise, the Phillies are a veteran squad with a ton of established stars, which is a nice change of pace from the Red Sox's up-and-coming core.
And, as has been widely reported, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski maintains a strong relationship with Cora. The two worked seamlessly together to secure the 2018 World Series in Boston. There's no reason why that combination couldn't work in Philadelphia, especially if Cora can bring his player development chops to help out the younger members of the team, like Justin Crawford, Andrew Painter, and eventually Gage Wood and Aidan Miller.
The focus for now remains on the 2026 season and Mattingly's terrific work, but a partnership with Cora should give Phillies fans plenty to look forward to in the years to come.
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