Phillies retain Mattingly as manager after Cora declines job

On October 14, 2026, the Philadelphia Phillies named Don Mattingly full-time manager and signed him to a two-year contract through the 2028 season. Mattingly had replaced Rob Thomson as interim after Thomson was fired April 28, 2026, with the team at 9-19. Under Mattingly the Phillies reached the playoffs and were eliminated by the Atlanta Braves in three games in the NL Wild Card Series. Alex Cora declined a Phillies managerial offer. Lastwordonsports reported he rejected it and that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had preferred Cora, with the Mattingly announcement coming about a week later. Mattingly and Dombrowski were set for separate press conferences on October 15. Matt Gelb and Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic reported an impending lockout likely played a role in Mattingly's return, per lastwordonsports. Outlets disagreed on the interim record: lastwordonsports and the wire listed 79-55, while Fox News cited 78-55 and 73-45 over 118 games. Fox News noted Mattingly previously managed the Dodgers and Marlins, was Blue Jays bench coach from 2023 to 2025, and that his son Preston Mattingly is the Phillies' general manager.