Former Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Reportedly Lined Up for NL Contender Job originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Alex Cora may not be away from a Major League Baseball dugout for long. The former Boston Red Sox manager reportedly is in line to take over the Philadelphia Phillies after the 2026 season, potentially reuniting with the executive who initially hired him in Boston.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported Sunday that Cora is expected to become Philadelphia’s next manager unless interim skipper Don Mattingly leads the Phillies to the World Series or wins a championship.
That is a significant qualifier. Mattingly helped rescue Philadelphia’s season after replacing Rob Thomson in April, guiding the Phillies back into the crowded National League wild-card race. A deep postseason run could make it difficult for the organization to move in another direction. If the Phillies fall short, however, Cora apparently will be waiting as their preferred choice.
Alex Cora Could Reunite With Dave Dombrowski
The potential move would bring Cora back together with Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. Dombrowski hired Cora as Boston’s manager following the 2017 season. That partnership produced immediate and historic results, with the Red Sox winning a franchise-record 108 games and the 2018 World Series during Cora’s first season in charge.
Philadelphia reportedly tried to stage that reunion much earlier. Dombrowski offered Cora the Phillies job shortly after the Red Sox fired him in April, but Cora declined because he wanted to spend more time with his family. Philadelphia subsequently dismissed Thomson and elevated Mattingly from bench coach to interim manager.
Cora’s decision apparently was a pause rather than a permanent departure from managing. If Nightengale’s report proves accurate, Philadelphia could circle back to him this winter. The Phillies would be hiring one of the most successful managers in Red Sox history, even if his Boston tenure ended far differently from how it began.
MORE: Red Sox Look To Win Pirates Series Before Returning To Fenway Park
Cora’s Boston Tenure Included a Championship and Controversy
Cora’s connection to the Red Sox predates his time as manager. He spent parts of four seasons with Boston as a utility infielder and was a member of the club’s 2007 World Series championship team. The Red Sox later gave him his first opportunity to manage in the major leagues, hiring him after he served as the Houston Astros’ bench coach.
Boston went 108-54 in 2018 before defeating the New York Yankees, Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers during a dominant postseason run. The Red Sox lost only three playoff games on their way to the championship. Cora and the organization mutually parted ways before the 2020 season because of his involvement in Houston’s sign-stealing scandal. MLB suspended him for the season, but the Red Sox rehired him after the punishment ended.
His second stint included a surprising trip to the 2021 American League Championship Series and another postseason appearance in 2025. Boston signed Cora to a three-year extension in July 2024, but that agreement did not prevent an abrupt ending less than two years later. The Red Sox fired Cora in April after a 10-17 start and replaced him with Chad Tracy. Cora finished his two stints with a 620-541 record, three playoff appearances and the 2018 championship. His 620 managerial victories rank third in franchise history.
Boston eventually turned its 2026 season around under Tracy, adding another complicated layer to the conversation surrounding Cora’s dismissal. Still, one difficult opening month did not erase the reputation Cora built across more than seven seasons in Boston.
The Phillies evidently agree.
Cora would inherit an experienced roster built to contend immediately, and he already has a strong relationship with the person assembling it. Dombrowski trusted Cora with a championship-caliber Red Sox team in 2018.
Eight years later, the two could be preparing to chase another title together.