The expectation in league circles was that Alex Cora’s decision would ultimately come down to the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets.
After all, the Mets have Steve Cohen, baseball’s richest owner, who can hire and sign anyone he wants. The Phillies, meanwhile, have a president of baseball operations in Dave Dombrowski who has a deep history with Cora from their time with the Boston Red Sox. He offered Cora the job once Rob Thomson was fired by the Phillies as manager, with Cora electing to sit out the remainder of the season to recharge, process being abruptly fired by the Red Sox, and spend time with his family.
And with the Mets stunningly naming Green as their full-time manager, the Phillies appear to be the heavy favorites to hire Cora in the winter.
The Phillies are the obvious favorites to hire Alex Cora
Which comes as virtually no surprise. Once Cora was fired by Boston, many executives predicted that he would ultimately end up with Dombrowski in Philadelphia. The Phillies, however, are about to be in the postseason and interim manager Don Mattingly is open to maintaining the job full-time.
If the Phillies go on an extended run, the organization may elect to keep Mattingly going forward. Further complicating matters, of course, is that Mattingly’s son, Preston, is the general manager of the Phillies.
If the Phillies elect to make a change, Cora would be a slam dunk hire. He’s regarded as one of the best managers in baseball. He maintains excellent relationships with his players and is familiar with managing in big markets. He’s 620-541 as a manager, including winning 108 games with the Red Sox in 2018 and winning the World Series.
The industry believes it’s a matter of time before it happens. Things can change, of course. But the stars seem to have aligned for a Cora reunion with Dombrowski in Philly.
Mets hire
On the topic of manager hirings: I used the word “stunningly” above to describe the Mets hiring Andy Green to be their manager.
The only reason it’s stunning is because Green was telling folks that he wanted to be around his family and was unsure about being a manager in the long haul. Alas, something changed his mind, and people across baseball are widely praising the hire. He’s been tremendous in Queens, with scouts across baseball noting a better and more fundamental brand of baseball being played. Also worth noting: Players are thrilled by the news that he would be their manager going forward.
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