New Alex Cora Rumors Reveal Phillies' Interest to Replace Rob Thomson After Red Sox Firing
After being fired last week, former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora reportedly had the opportunity to quickly land a new job.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Philadelphia Phillies offered their manager job to Cora after firing Rob Thomson on Tuesday, but Cora declined and decided to spend time with his family.
"Cora, who's in the second year of a three-year, $21.75 million contract, is expected to sit out now for the rest of the season," Nightengale reported. "When asked if he plans to stay home the rest of the summer, Cora said in a text message to USA TODAY Sports: 'Full-time dad.'"
The Phillies opted to name Don Mattingly their interim manager.
ESPN's Buster Olney confirmed that the Phillies "have done their background work on Alex Cora and his availability to manage -- but now is not the right time."
The Red Sox fired Cora and five members of his coaching staff on Saturday following a 10-17 start to the season. The timing of the move surprised many, as Boston had just earned a 17-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Chad Tracy, who was the manager of Boston's Triple-A affiliate in Worcester since 2022, took over as interim manager and led the team to back-to-back victories.
The situation is much more bleak in Philadelphia. At 9-19, the Phillies are tied with the New York Mets for the worst record in MLB. They recently ended a 10-game losing streak, which was their longest skid since 1999, but they lost again the very next day. This marks their worst start to a season through 28 games since 2002, per ESPN.
Thomson took over as Phillies manager in 2022 and compiled a 355-270 record during his tenure with an appearance in the World Series in his first season at the helm. Philadelphia has a high-priced roster with talented players like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner, which made the team's struggles even more disappointing.
After failing to convince Cora to take over, the Phillies will be hoping that Mattingly will be able to turn things around and help the team return to playoff contention.
