Phillies predicted to replace Don Mattingly with recently fired World Series champion manager originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Philadelphia Phillies have had an up-and-down season, to say the least, especially compared to their usual standards after winning the NL East in consecutive seasons. Philadelphia struggled early in the year and quickly found itself among the league’s worst teams. The Phillies were forced to make a decision at the beginning of the season, and the organization ultimately fired former manager Rob Thomson. “There’s a major shakeup in Philadelphia. The Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson on Tuesday morning. Don Mattingly is the interim skipper, with the team’s press release saying he’ll hold that position for the remainder of the 2026 season,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Anthony Franco wrote. Philadelphia will have another decision to make heading into next season: whether to keep Mattingly in the role or find a new manager. However, the Phillies are currently barely in the Wild Card picture, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale does not believe Mattingly will be back next season. Instead, he believes Philadelphia will hire Alex Cora. “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,” Nightengale wrote. Cora would be an excellent hire for the Phillies, as he is a passionate and highly experienced manager. He was recently fired by the Boston Red Sox. “The Boston Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora and five members of his coaching staff Saturday in a stunning early-season overhaul with the club sitting in last place in the American League East. Bench coach Ramón Vázquez, hitting coach Peter Fatse, third-base coach Kyle Hudson, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson and hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin also were dismissed,” ESPN’s Jorge Castillo wrote. If the Phillies miss the playoffs this season, the entire organization will enter the offseason hungry for success. Cora, meanwhile, would have plenty to prove after being fired by the Red Sox earlier than expected, giving him even more motivation to show Boston that it made a mistake. Philadelphia would also be coming off a disappointing season with plenty to prove. The combination of the Phillies’ desire to bounce back and Cora’s motivation to prove himself could make for an ideal match. More MLB news:
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