The Philadelphia Phillies have a big decision to make on the manager position.
Alex Cora was expected to be a top option, but USA Today’s Bob Nightengale said Cora will sit out the 2027 season.
Following that, the Phillies’ search got a new update, and interim manager Don Mattingly is in consideration for the job, according to Matt Gelb and Jayson Stark of The Athletic.
“They could conduct a wider search for their next manager. Or they could turn to Don Mattingly for another season, according to the sources…Everything remains on the table.”
Stark and Gelb added that “Mattingly could have an edge” after being given the interim tag, and he is under contract through 2027 as the bench coach.
In another twist, his son, Preston, is the GM for the Phillies, so there are a lot of reasons why Mattingly could stick around another year as the manager.
The Phillies fired Rob Thomson in April, and they even tried to hire Cora at that time after he was fired by the Boston Red Sox, but Cora turned the job down.
Mattingly was reportedly interested in another year as the manager, and after making the playoffs, it could make sense to keep the veteran for the short term, especially if the franchise wants to take a run at Cora after the 2027 season.
The Phillies went 79-55 with Mattingly as the interim manager.
