Rob Thomson Reacts to Dave Dombrowski Offering Alex Cora Phillies Job Before Firing Manager

Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski confirmed to reporters that he spoke to former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora on Sunday about potentially taking over that same role with the Phillies before formally firing Rob Thomson on Tuesday.

Thomson said he had no problem with that timeline.

"Dave and I have a close relationship, but that doesn't stand in the way of him doing the right thing for the organization," he told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "I respect that."

Cora ultimately chose to spend more time with his family following his firing by the Red Sox over the weekend, with Dombrowski telling reporters the pair "never got down to the nuts and bolts of (an agreement)."

"We talked about potentially taking the job," he added. "I told him that I had really come to the conclusion at that point that if he took it, I was going to make a change. I thought that he might take it. But as time went on over the next day into Monday morning, it was apparent from his perspective that he wanted to take time with his family."

Instead, bench coach Don Mattingly will operate as the team's interim manager. But it's a safe bet that the Phillies will reach out to Cora again in the offseason (at least if Dombrowski remains in his post).

"I think Cora is one of the finest managers in the game of baseball," Dombrowski told reporters. "I've been fortunate to work with Hall of Fame managers like Tony La Russa and Jim Leyland. ... I think if (Cora) decides to keep managing, he has a chance to be in that same category—that's how good he is."

As for Thomson, his firing didn't come as a huge surprise in Philadelphia after a 9-19 start to the 2026 season and the team's failure to win a playoff series in each of its last two campaigns. While much of the blame for the team's poor start also falls on Dombrowski and general manager Preston Mattingly after a lackluster offseason, managers often fall on the sword first.

Cora can attest.