​Former Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Reportedly Lined Up for NL Contender Job originally appeared on NESN.
Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Alex Cora may not be away from a Major League Baseball dugout for long. The former Boston Red Sox manager reportedly is in line to take over the Philadelphia Phillies after the 2026 season, potentially reuniting with the executive who initially hired him in Boston.USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported Sunday that Cora is expected to become Philadelphia’s next manager unless interim skipper Don Mattingly leads the Phillies to the World Series or wins a championship.That is a significant qualifier. Mattingly helped rescue Philadelphia’s season after replacing Rob Thomson in April, guiding the Phillies back into the crowded National League wild-card race. A deep postseason run could make it difficult for the organization to move in another direction. If the Phillies fall short, however, Cora apparently will be waiting as their preferred choice.Alex Cora Could Reunite With Dave DombrowskiThe potential move would bring Cora back together with Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. Dombrowski hired Cora as Boston’s manager following the 2017 season. That partnership produced immediate and historic results, with the Red Sox winning a franchise-record 108 games and the 2018 World Series during Cora’s first season in charge.Philadelphia reportedly tried to stage that reunion much earlier. Dombrowski offered Cora the Phillies job shortly after the Red Sox fired him in April, but Cora declined because he wanted to spend more time with his family. Philadelphia subsequently dismissed Thomson and elevated Mattingly from bench coach to interim manager.Cora’s decision apparently was a pause rather than a permanent departure from managing. If Nightengale’s report proves accurate, Philadelphia could circle back to him this winter. The Phillies would be hiring one of the most successful managers in Red Sox history, even if his Boston tenure ended far differently from how it began.MORE: Red Sox Look To Win Pirates Series Before Returning To Fenway ParkCora’s Boston Tenure Included a Championship and ControversyCora’s connection to the Red Sox predates his time as manager. He spent parts of four seasons with Boston as a utility infielder and was a member of the club’s 2007 World Series championship team. The Red Sox later gave him his first opportunity to manage in the major leagues, hiring him after he served as the Houston Astros’ bench coach.Boston went 108-54 in 2018 before defeating the New York Yankees, Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers during a dominant postseason run. The Red Sox lost only three playoff games on their way to the championship. Cora and the organization mutually parted ways before the 2020 season because of his involvement in Houston’s sign-stealing scandal. MLB suspended him for the season, but the Red Sox rehired him after the punishment