Cora declines Phillies approach for 2027; Mattingly’s future remains open

Alex Cora has declined the Phillies’ approach about managing the team in 2027, leaving Philadelphia to decide whether to retain Don Mattingly or pursue someone else. MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reported Wednesday that league sources confirmed Cora had told the club he was not interested in managing next year.

The approach came from president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who worked with Cora during Boston’s 2018 championship season. Zolecki reports that the conversation took place within the past few days. Philadelphia has made no announcement about its next manager.

Chris Cotillo of MassLive independently confirmed that Cora plans not to manage anywhere in 2027. Cotillo reports that Cora has enjoyed spending time with his family since his departure from Boston in April. He has previously spoken about eventually returning to managing, so the reported decision concerns next season rather than a retirement announcement.

Philadelphia had also approached Cora after dismissing Rob Thomson in April, according to Cotillo. Cora chose to remain away from the dugout then, and Mattingly took over on an interim basis. The latest conversation therefore closes off a candidate the Phillies had considered earlier this year.

Mattingly inherited a 9–19 team and went 79–55 after taking over, according to Chris Cwik’s Yahoo Sports report. Philadelphia reached the postseason but lost its Wild Card Series to Atlanta. That finish leaves the organization weighing a substantial regular-season recovery against another short playoff run.

Zolecki reports that Mattingly said during the summer that he wanted to manage Philadelphia next year. After the season-ending loss, he deferred to the organization’s evaluation. J.T. Realmuto and Aaron Nola voiced support for him in the MLB.com report, but those comments do not establish the front office’s decision.

Cora’s reported refusal leaves an existing manager available to continue and removes one proposed alternative. Mattingly’s interim designation remains the unresolved issue: Philadelphia can retain him or open a broader search, and the club has yet to announce either course.