What Don Mattingly Has To Do To Hold off Alex Cora for Phillies Job

Don Mattingly has a lot to do if he wants to retain the Philadelphia Phillies' manager position.

Jul 20, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (8) walks to the mound to make a change during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies made a major move earlier this season, after a 9-19 start, to fire manager Rob Thomson and replace him with Don Mattingly on an interim basis.

That change led to improved performance from the team, which made MLB history in the process. The Phillies became the first team to be 10 games under the .500 mark and get to at least 10 games over the .500 mark before the end of June.

It was an impressive feat, but one that wouldn’t have come to fruition with Mattingly at the helm had things gone according to what the team was hoping for. When Thomson was fired, Philadelphia offered the job to Alex Cora, who was fired by the Boston Red Sox.

He declined, citing that he wanted to spend some time with his family. However, he remains the No. 1 choice for the Phillies to become the manager full-time without the interim tag, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports.

What does Don Mattingly have to do to remain Phillies manager?

Jul 27, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (8) waits for a ball against the Miami Marlins before the game at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly, who took over for Rob Thomson on April 28, not only must lead the Phillies to the postseason, but likely to the World Series or even win it to be asked back. Alex Cora, who turned down the job when Thomson was fired, is expected to be the Phillies’ next manager barring a World Series berth or title,” Nightingale wrote.

That is a high bar Mattingly must meet if he wants to retain this job full-time. It is something that he has expressed a desire to do, but he will certainly have to earn it; going through the National League playoff picture is no small task with the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers all playing at a high level.

Alas, the report from Nightengale isn’t all too surprising. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and Cora have a history of working together from their time with the Red Sox. Reuniting with the Phillies is something Dombrowski clearly wants to do, as he offered the job to his former manager when Thomson was originally fired.

There were previous reports that the New York Mets could make a run at Cora, but based on this most recent bit of news from Nightengale, he sounds destined to head to the City of Brotherly Love, barring a title run from Philadelphia.

Cora is the exact kind of person the Phillies are looking for to lead their team. He helped Boston win the World Series in 2018 and compiled a record of 620-541 in his career at the helm of the team.

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