Phillies 'confident' they'll make an Alex Cora decision after 2026 season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Philadelphia Phillies, after a brutal start to the season, fired Rob Thomson a few years after he took over in the middle of the 2022 season and helped lead the Phillies to the World Series.

In the aftermath of the firing of Thomson, it was reported that the Phillies had tried to bring in Alex Cora, the recently fired Boston Red Sox manager, to be their new manager. He turned them down, and the Phillies went to Don Mattingly.

But, as USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports, the Phillies are "confident" that after the 2026 season, they will be able to hire Cora to be their new manager for 2027 and beyond.

Phillies 'confident' that they'll hire Alex Cora

"While Alex Cora will be the hottest free-agent commodity this winter, the Phillies are confident that he will be managing their team in 2027," Nightengale reports.

This is a fascinating report from Nightengale, as the Phillies are still in the middle of the 2026 season, and have already had Cora turn them down for the job opening before.

But Cora's refusal to take the job was in part because it had only been a few days since he was fired by the Red Sox.

More: Don Mattingly and Preston Mattingly make father-son MLB history for Phillies

In the offseason, it would not be a major surprise if Dave Dobmrowski and the Phillies managed to bring Cora in as their new manager.

Mattingly is only the interim manager, and barring a World Series run, he will likely be replaced over the offseason by someone new, with Cora in the lead after this report.

Nightengale also mentioned that the New York Mets and Houston Astros, two teams also struggling this year, could look to woo Cora to their franchises.

But, the Phillies look to be the favorites, as Cora and Dombrowski reuniting in Philadelphia looks to be very much in play for 2027.

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