The Cubs may end up watching one of their own assistants get pulled into the offseason manager carousel.
Chicago has not announced any changes to Craig Counsell’s staff, and that decision is expected to wait until after the World Series. But bench coach Ryan Flaherty remains a name to watch. He has become a legitimate managerial candidate over the past few years, and another round of interest could be coming soon.
Flaherty already surfaced in connection with openings last offseason, when he was linked to the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres. Now, with the Philadelphia Phillies suddenly back in the market, he could be in the mix there as well.
That vacancy took an unexpected turn when Alex Cora took himself out of the running. The Phillies were widely expected to pursue the former Boston Red Sox manager after Don Mattingly’s strong stint in an interim role, and Cora was even asked about the job in April after he was fired by Boston. At that point, he chose to spend the summer with his family.
He’s making the same call again. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale first reported that Cora will take the 2027 season off, saying he wants to continue spending time with his family.
Philadelphia now appears to be scrambling a bit. One possible response would be to drop the interim tag from Mattingly and keep moving forward with him.
That would be an interesting turn, especially after the way the Phillies’ season ended. They nearly collapsed in September, and even though they pushed Atlanta to Game 3 in the Wild Card series, the feeling around the team’s elimination was that a culture change is needed. Over the past week, there has even been speculation that Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner could come up in trade talks this offseason.
If the Phillies truly want a new voice and a different direction, Flaherty makes sense as a candidate. He fits the profile of someone who could grow with a younger roster, and if the goal is to usher in a new era, he looks like the kind of manager who could help shape it.
The broader market could be tricky to read, too. There is a sense that the looming work stoppage may dampen the hiring cycle, even if several jobs could still open in the coming weeks, including the New York Yankees and Houston Astros. However it shakes out, Flaherty should be one of the more frequently mentioned names for teams looking for a new manager.
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