Don Mattingly is enjoying a resurgence this season with the Philadelphia Phillies, but the good times might not last forever.
The Phillies interim manager Mattingly is open to remaining the manager of the team beyond the 2026 season, Robert Murray of FanSided reported on Thursday. However, the allure to the Phillies of the available Alex Cora could reportedly be too much for Mattingly to overcome.
Murray also notes Cora’s strong connection with Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, whom he previously worked with on the Boston Red Sox. You can read Murray’s full report on the situation here.
Mattingly, 65, joined the Phillies as a bench coach over the offseason. But he became the team’s interim manager in late April after Philadelphia fired Rob Thomson.
Ever since taking over for the Phillies, Mattingly has done a commendable job. Under Mattingly (who arrived with 12 prior seasons of MLB manager experience), Philadelphia has gone a blistering 70-42 (.625), and they now sit at an impressive 79-61 overall (.564).
But Cora, the 50-year-old ex-Red Sox manager, might have been the target for the Phillies all along. Philadelphia tried to hire him right after Thomson’s firing four months ago, and now they could be making a second attempt at Cora come this winter.
