Phillies manager candidates: Six names to consider, from Don Mattingly to Albert Pujols

Alex Cora was expected to be the next Phillies manager, but he turned them down (again) ... so where will the team look now?

Oct 7, 2026 at 10:45 am ET • 4 min read

What seemed inevitable is now off the table. Former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has taken his name out of the running for the Philadelphia Phillies managerial job, and will instead spend next season with his family. Cora's contract with the Red Sox runs through next year. He'll use that to take a little mid-career break, knowing managerial jobs will be there for him in 2028.

Phillies lead executive Dave Dombrowski hired Cora to manage the Red Sox during his time in Boston and the two are said to be close. Dombrowski confirmed he contacted Cora about the team's managerial job back in April, after firing Rob Thomson, but Cora passed then as well. It seemed like the two would reunite this offseason. Instead, Cora will take a full season away from the game.

Dombrowski and the Phillies must now determine whether to stick with interim manager Don Mattingly, who guided the team to a 79-55 record and a wild-card berth after replacing Thomson, or go outside the organization for a new manager. Here now are a few candidates for the Philadelphia's top dugout job in a post-Cora managerial market.

The interim

Don Mattingly: This is not a great offseason to need a new manager. It is a near certainty MLB will lock out the players when the current collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, and, during the lockout, team personnel can not have contact with players. That includes the manager. Furthermore, once the lockout ends, there figures to be a truncated spring training similar to 2022. There won't be much time between now and Opening Day for a new manager to come in and build relationships with his players, which is about 95% of the job. Mattingly, 65, is already a known quantity in that regard. The relationships are in place. That's a point in his favor and could lead to his return on a permanent basis.

Former managers

Rocco Baldelli: Currently a special assistant in the front office with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Baldelli managed the Minnesota Twins from 2019-25. The 45-year-old won four AL Central titles and took the team to the postseason three times. Baldelli, who played for the Rays against the Phillies in the 2008 World Series, would bring playing and managerial experience, plus he has been regarded as a very strong communicator inside the clubhouse. The Xs and Os on the field matter, of course, but modern managers are tasked with developing strong relationships with their players and keeping the clubhouse in order. It is most of the job, really.

David Ross: Ross has reportedly been itching to get back into the dugout after getting let go by the Chicago Cubs three years ago so they could hire Craig Counsell. The 49-year-old managed Chicago from 2020-23 and took them to the postseason once. Ross checks the "former catcher" box that everyone seems to love when seeking a new manager, plus he has worked as a broadcaster, which can only help with the demanding day-to-day media responsibilities that come with a big market.  

Up-and-comers

Rodney Linares: Linares, 47, has served as the Tampa Bay Rays bench coach under Kevin Cash since 2023. He has an extensive minor-league managerial and coaching résumé dating back to 1999, primarily with the Houston Astros, and he also managed the Dominican Republic in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Linares comes from a baseball family as well. His father, Julio, was a longtime player, coach, and minor-league manager with the Astros. Linares checks a lot of boxes with his experience in two successful, highly analytical organizations. It is only a matter of time until he gets a chance to manage an MLB team.

George Lombard Sr.: After playing in parts of six MLB seasons from 1999-2006, the 51-year-old Lombard began coaching at the minor-league level in 2010, first with the Red Sox and then with the Atlanta Braves. He was the Dodgers first base coach from 2016-20, and has been A.J. Hinch's bench coach with the Detroit Tigers since 2021. Lombard can relate to players as a former player himself, plus he has experience in player development and with a top-of-the-line organization in the Dodgers. That is a pretty excellent rookie manager starting kit. Lombard's oldest son, George Jr., plays shortstop for the New York Yankees, and his youngest son, Jacob, was a first-round pick by the Miami Marlins in July.

Hall of Famers

Carlos Beltrán: Technically, Beltrán had a stint as manager of the New York Mets. He was hired on Nov. 1, 2019, then he stepped down on Jan. 16, 2020, after his role in the Astros sign-stealing scandal came to light. Beltrán currently works in the Mets front office as a special assistant to POBO David Stearns, and he was expected to receive consideration for the team's managerial position before interim Andy Green was given the job on a permanent basis in September. Beltrán has long been considered a manager-in-waiting. Could his chance come with the NL East rival Phillies after a second try with the Mets didn't come together? 

Albert Pujols: Pujols, 46, is not yet a Hall of Famer like Beltrán, but he'll be a first-ballot inductee as soon as he's eligible in 2028. He has never managed or coached in the big leagues, though he guided Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Winter League to a Caribbean Series championship in 2024. He also managed the Dominican Republic in this spring's World Baseball Classic. Pujols interviewed for managerial jobs with the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels last offseason. If nothing else, he would command instant respect from his players, even in a veteran-laden clubhouse like Philadelphia's.