PHILADELPHIA -- Alex Cora will not be the Phillies’ next manager.
Now, signs point to Don Mattingly’s return.
League sources on Wednesday morning confirmed what USA Today first reported late Tuesday night. Sometime in the past few days, Cora told the Phillies that he is not interested in managing next year, even if it meant reuniting with Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.
The Phillies’ most sensible option at this point is bringing back Mattingly and removing the interim tag from his title, as opposed to beginning a managerial search from scratch, especially with the Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire on Dec. 1. A new manager would be unable to speak with players during a potential work stoppage.
Still, no decision or announcement has been made.
The Phillies were 9-19 when Mattingly replaced Rob Thomson on April 28. They had the fourth-best record in baseball the rest of the way, despite an offense that ranked 19th in runs and a bullpen that ranked 21st in ERA.
Mattingly said this summer that he would like to manage the Phillies next year -- he signed a two-year contract to be the bench coach in January -- although he deflected questions about his future following the team’s season-ending loss to Atlanta last week in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series.
“It’s not the time to talk about it,” Mattingly said. “I’m comfortable with whatever they want to do. Again, I want the best for the Phillies. I loved being in Philly this year. I actually like playing in that environment. I like the environment. It's a rough environment, but it's good.
“Again, I think you let the organization evaluate, talk about what they think moving forward, what they should do, and that dictates a lot of different things.”
Players, however, voiced their support for Mattingly.
“Donnie was great,” catcher J.T. Realmuto said.
“We love Don,” pitcher Aaron Nola said.
It seemed less likely than likely that Mattingly would return following Game 3 due to Dombrowski’s strong affection for Cora. USA Today even reported last week that Mattingly would be “gracefully dismissed, likely in the coming week” with the Phillies announcing a “mutual parting.”
Dombrowski and Cora first worked together in Boston, winning the World Series in 2018. They remain very close.
Dombrowski has even compared Cora to Hall of Fame managers Tony La Russa and Jim Leyland.
“I think if Cora decides to manage, he has a chance to be in that same category,” Dombrowski said in April.
If the Phillies announce Mattingly is back, or if they announce a managerial search, Dombrowski’s standing in the organization is unquestioned. He will be back, and he will be tasked with trying to improve a roster that has holes in the lineup, the bullpen and the defense.
"To be in the postseason five years in a row, that's remarkable consistency," Phillies owner John Middleton told reporters on Sept. 27, when the Phillies clinched the third NL Wild Card. "It's consistency throughout a season, a sign of a really, really good organization, not surprisingly when Dombrowski runs it."