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| Dave Dombrowski has a decision to make regarding who will manage the club in 2027. | CREDIT: Sam Stevenson |
Now the manager Dave Dombrowski pursued instead has said no—again.
Alex Cora informed Dombrowski that he plans to sit out the 2027 season rather than take over in Philadelphia, according to USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale. The Philadelphia Inquirer independently confirmed the decision, leaving the Phillies to choose between appointing Mattingly full-time and looking elsewhere.
The immediate news is Cora’s refusal. The consequential question is what Philadelphia believes Mattingly earned.
He went 79-55 after replacing Rob Thomson, who was dismissed following a 9-19 start. That .590 winning percentage translates to approximately 96 victories over a full season. But the Phillies’ recovery ended with a Wild Card Series loss to Atlanta, and Mattingly’s future remained unsettled.
Until recently, the reporting suggested Philadelphia was preparing to move on. USA TODAY reported after the elimination that the Phillies intended to part with Mattingly and offer him another organizational role.
The latest report from Nightengale says the club has not decided who will manage in 2027. Mattingly remains under contract for next season as a bench coach.
That leaves a meaningful distinction for Dombrowski to resolve: whether retaining Mattingly would reflect confidence in his work, or simply the disappearance of another option.
Cora’s appeal was never difficult to understand.
“I think Alex Cora is one of the finest managers in the game of baseball,” Dombrowski said in April.
The two won the 2018 World Series together in Boston. Dombrowski approached Cora about Philadelphia’s job in April before firing Thomson, but Cora declined because he wanted time with his family. Mattingly subsequently took over.
Cora’s latest answer appears broader than a rejection of the Phillies. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo confirmed through sources that he does not intend to manage anywhere in 2027.
Philadelphia’s decision, however, is specific to the manager already there.
Mattingly’s tenure produced the fourth-best record in baseball from his appointment through the end of the regular season. It also included a 9-14 finish that left the Phillies needing the season’s final game to secure their postseason berth.
The contrast makes a simple reading of his record insufficient. Philadelphia won consistently for much of his tenure, then struggled when its position was least secure.
Inside the clubhouse, Mattingly’s communication drew support.
“He was easy to talk to,” Trea Turner said after the elimination. “I appreciate the honesty.”
That endorsement supplies something the standings cannot: evidence of how a player experienced the manager’s leadership. It does not settle the hiring decision, but it belongs alongside the results.
So do the October choices that drew criticism. The Inquirer identified Mattingly’s seventh-inning use of closer Jhoan Duran in Game 1 and his decision to start Aaron Nola rather than Zack Wheeler on three days’ rest in Game 3 among the disputed moves.
Those situations offer concrete material for the front office’s review. They require assessing the available alternatives and their risks, rather than assuming the choice left unused would have worked.
They also connect Mattingly’s evaluation to Dombrowski’s responsibilities. The manager decided how to use the roster. The front office determined which players were available.
A managerial change could alter Philadelphia’s preparation and strategy. It would not, by itself, improve the personnel carrying them out.
Mattingly has expressed willingness to continue managing. Owner John Middleton has left the decision to Dombrowski, telling reporters, “That’s Dave’s decision.”
Dombrowski now has an incumbent with a substantial recovery on his résumé, clubhouse support and a disappointing finish to answer for. He also has the option of conducting a broader search.
Cora’s refusal leaves both paths open. It removes the possibility of allowing a familiar championship partnership to settle the choice.
In April, Mattingly got the opportunity after Cora declined.
For 2027, the question is whether what Mattingly did with that opportunity makes him the Phillies’ first choice.
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