The Philadelphia Phillies fired manager Rob Thompson after a 9–19 start to the season, and promoted Don Mattingly to interim captain. While the organization's focus is now focused on the remainder of the season, there is much discussion as to who will be the manager next season.
The Athletic's Matt Gelb and Ken Rosenthal reported earlier this week that, days after being fired by the Boston Red Sox, Alex Cora had turned down the opportunity to replace Thomson in Philadelphia.
Cora, age 50, still has the remainder of his contract with Boston. Accepting the opportunity to become the next manager of the Phillies would result in the Red Sox losing out on paying him. As a result, Cora is taking leave so that her former employer can continue paying her.
Mattingly appears to be an option to retain the position with Philadelphia next season. Ultimately, the same organization offered Thomson a full-time role as interim captain during the 2022 MLB season after posting a 65-46 record with 11 postseason wins.
However, Mattingly just turned 65 last month and his past tenure as manager doesn't suggest he's a great long-term option. Since the Los Angeles Dodgers parted ways with him in 2025, Mattingly has compiled a record of 447–587 (.432) in 1034 regular season games beginning on May 2, and his clubs have never won 80 games in a year.
Who will be the next manager of the Phillies?
According to MLB insider Robert Murray, Cora "seems to be the favorite" to take over as Phillies manager after the 2026 season. He is taking the rest of this year off to spend time with his family, but hopes to return to the dugout after 2026.
It's not hard to see why many around the league expect Cora to be hired by Philadelphia. He has a close relationship with Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who held the same title in Boston from 2015-'19, when Cora was manager and won a World Series title.
If Cora were hired, it seems likely that Mattingly would remain a member of the Phillies organization. His son, Preston Mattingly, was promoted to general manager by the club in November 2024.
In the event that Cora takes over as Phillies manager next year, it is possible that Dombrowski would sign off on hiring many of the assistant coaches that Boston fired with him.
