Alex Cora looks poised to land back on a big-league bench, and the Philadelphia Phillies keep surfacing as the destination that makes the most sense.
Bob Nightengale reported Sunday that Cora is expected to become the Phillies’ next manager unless they win a World Series and choose to keep Don Mattingly in place. One writer went even further, calling the move to Philadelphia “all but a done deal.”
“As with Beltrán, this feels like all but a done deal. Cora has been linked to the Phillies for months and even reportedly passed on an offer to take over midseason. His familiarity with lead baseball executive Dave Dombrowski only makes this fit more obvious.
“Dombrowski’s presence means that Cora should have remarkably strong job security, but the Phillies’ championship window is tightening. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Trea Turner aren’t getting any younger, nor is veteran All-Star starter Zack Wheeler. And that’s not even considering that the Dodgers, Brewers, and Braves remain atop the National League,” Jake Elman wrote.
Reports also said that after the Red Sox moved on from Cora, Philadelphia offered him the job. Cora chose to stay away from baseball for the rest of the season, with expectations that he would return this offseason.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, have been strong under interim skipper Chad Tracy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll get the permanent job. Boston still has to decide whether to keep giving Tracy a chance or turn to a more experienced manager.
For now, Cora remains the favorite if Philadelphia does move on from Mattingly, though the Phillies’ October run could still shape how this all plays out.
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The offensive results have not come close to matching that track record, and the concern in Boston is less about one bad week than whether the slow start lingers long enough to matter. Rutschman has said he is focused on sticking with his process and not making drastic changes, which is the right approach on paper, but it also leaves the Red Sox waiting for the version of him they expected to get in the first place. [Read more 🡒]