Source: Alex Cora turns down the Phillies again, doesn’t intend to return to managing in 2027

Alex Cora won’t be the Phillies’ next manager after all.

For the second time in six months, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski offered the job to Cora, and for the second time, Cora turned it down, a source familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak about it said late Tuesday night. (The news was first reported by USA Today.)

Now, the Phillies must choose between appointing Don Mattingly as the full-time manager (he’s under contract as bench coach for one more season), or conducting a managerial search.

» READ MORE: The big offseason questions facing the Phillies: Core’s future, fixing the bullpen, and who’s managing?

Cora, 50, was viewed within the sport as the likeliest candidate to take the Phillies’ reins because of his close relationship with Dombrowski. They won a World Series together with the Red Sox in 2018.

But Cora is owed $7.25 million through the end of 2027 by the Sox, who fired him April 25. And after spending the summer with his family in Puerto Rico, he informed Dombrowski that he doesn’t plan to manage next year, according to the source.

Family considerations (Cora has 9-year-old twin sons) are believed to be the biggest factor, but baseball’s looming work stoppage might’ve played a role, too. Once the owners lock out the players on Dec. 1, as expected, team officials won’t be permitted to speak with players, a “tough spot for a new manager,” the source said.

The simplest solution, then, may be to retain Mattingly.

Mattingly, 65, took over on an interim basis for deposed Rob Thomson, albeit after Dombrowski first tried to hire Cora, and led the Phillies to a 79-55 record, the fourth-best mark in baseball after April 28. But the Phillies also stumbled to a 9-14 finish and didn’t clinch a wild card until the season’s final game.

In the wild-card series, Mattingly received criticism for his decisions to bring in closer Jhoan Duran in the seventh inning of Game 1 and to start Aaron Nola instead of Zack Wheeler on three days’ rest in Game 3.

Owner John Middleton said after the regular season that Mattingly did a “pretty damn good” job, but stopped short of weighing in on whether he wants him to stay.

“That’s Dave’s decision,” Middleton said in yet another vote of confidence for Dombrowski.

Dombrowski hasn’t taken questions from reporters since the Phillies were knocked out in the wild-card series.

» READ MORE: Will Don Mattingly return? That’s ‘Dave’s decision,’ the first of many facing Dombrowski.

If not Mattingly, it’s unclear where the Phillies would turn. When they added him to Thomson’s coaching staff, they cited his experience as a major league player and former manager.

None of the coaches on Mattingly’s staff has major league managerial experience.

Dombrowski hasn’t conducted a full managerial search since October 2017 for the Red Sox. He interviewed three candidates (Cora, Brad Ausmus, and Ron Gardenhire) in 11 days before hiring Cora. Ausmus, hired by Dombrowski before the 2014 season to manage the Tigers, is now the Yankees’ bench coach.

Neither Cora nor Ausmus had previous managerial experience.

In July, Mattingly expressed interest in continuing to manage despite saying before the season that he believed his managerial days were over.

“I like doing it,” he said then. “I didn’t come here to do it, but I actually like doing it. And I’d committed two years [as bench coach]. In my mind, I told Dave two years, right? So, at that point you make a commitment with your family and what’s going on with everything, that you’re going to do this for two years.

“So, if that’s something that Dave wanted me to do, I would be fine with it.”

Most players had instant respect for Mattingly, a Hall of Fame-worthy player with managerial experience with the Dodgers and Marlins. Several said they appreciated his honesty and directness as a communicator.

» READ MORE: ‘Phillies Extra’ offseason preview with Scott Franzke: Moving Trea Turner off SS, trade candidates, and more

“I just felt like he was just calm, man,” shortstop Trea Turner said last week. “He was easy to talk to. I could talk to him about anything hitting. He just seemed like a cool guy that wanted to be here, and then if he needed to let you know something was wrong, he’d let you know. I appreciate the honesty.”

It’s clear, though, that Cora remained Dombrowski’s first choice. Cora often refers to Dombrowski as a “mentor,” while Dombrowski compares Cora’s tactical skills with Hall of Fame managers Jim Leyland and Tony La Russa.

Now, the Phillies will have to look elsewhere.

Watch the latest episode

In discussing Justin Crawford’s first year in the majors, Phillies manager Don Mattingly and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski used the same expression: “He kept his head above water.” Moving forward, they will hold the 22-year-old center fielder to a higher standard. Crawford sat down with Phillies Extra to talk about his goals for 2027, including stealing more bases, improving his defense, and more. Watch here.

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Previous episodes: Jim Duquette | Garrett Stubbs | Tim Mayza | Aidan Miller | Scott Franzke | Larry Andersen | Matt Klentak | Jeff Francoeur | Luke Murton | Mike Hazen | Tony Gwynn Jr.