Alex Cora, who was fired Saturday by the Boston Red Sox, was officially offered the Philadelphia Phillies managerial job on Monday afternoon but rejected it, two persons with direct knowledge of the decision told USA TODAY Sports, instead deciding to instead spend time with his family.
They spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
Cora’s decision led the Phillies to promote bench Don Mattingly to be their manager Tuesday after firing Rob Thomson.
Cora, who’s in the second year of a three-year, $21.75 million contract, is expected to sit out now for the rest of the season. When asked if he plans to stay home the rest of the summer, Cora said in a text message to USA TODAY Sports: “Full-time dad."
Cora’s decision leads to the first father/son, GM/manager combination in baseball history with Preston Mattingly Does that make Don Mattingly the the first manager who has ever spanked his GM?
Chad Tracy, 45, who replaced Cora, and Mattingly, 65, will be given the opportunity to manage their new teams for the rest of the season before a decision is made whether they will be kept past this year.
The firings leave Carlos Mendoza of the New York Mets, Joe Espada of the Houston Astros and perhaps Matt Quatraro of the Kansas City Royals on the hot seat.
Here's a look at some of the top managerial candidates, for the rest of this season and beyond:
Alex Cora
Cora, who managed the Red Sox for eight years and led them to the 2018 World Series title, is the manager everyone wants. He’s widely considered one of the finest in the game, and since he’s being paid by the Red Sox through 2027, can be acquired at a bit of a discount.
Cora likely will be offered the Phillies’ job again at the end of the season, and perhaps the New York Mets’ job even sooner. Yet, since he informed the Phillies that he wanted to take time off, he likely would give the same answer to the Mets. This would leave the Mets likely turning to bench coach Kai Correa for the rest of the season if they part ways with Mendoza.
Brandon Hyde
He was the American League Manager of the Year in 2023 after leading the Baltimore Orioles to a 101-victory season. Yet, he was fired last year after they got off to a 15-28 start. He’s also working in Tampa as a special assistant.
Carlos Beltrán
He was actually hired to manage the Mets after the 2019 season, but fired before he managed a game because of his role with the Houston Astros’ 2017 cheating scandal. Currently a special assistant with the Mets, he could become the first manager in MLB history to have to take time off in his first year to attend his own Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Albert Pujols
Pujols could have been the Los Angeles Angels’ manager this year, but his contract demands and request for personnel changes led the Angels to instead turning to Kurt Suzuki on a one-year contract. He also finished runner-up to Craig Stammen for the San Diego Padres’ job.
Rocco Baldelli
Baldelli, 44, who’s working as a special assistant for the Dodgets, led the Minnesota Twins to three postseason berths in seven years. He’s also a native of New England and would be a natural candidate in Boston.
David Ross
Ross, a two-time World Series champion as a player, played for the Red Sox and managed the Cubs for four years, leading the Cubs to an 83-79 record his final season. He was fired only because Craig Counsell became available. He’s working for ESPN these days but is itching to return.
Yadier Molina
Just like Pujols, another future Hall of Famer. He’s widely considered one of the greatest defensive catchers in history, with a brilliant baseball mind. The only real question with Molina is whether he would have the patience to deal with the media twice a day.
Omar López
He is currently the Astros’ bench coach, but his stock soared after leading Team Venezuela to the WBC championship. If the Astros fire Espada, he’s the natural successor.
Rob Thomson
If someone wants a veteran manager, at least for the interim, Thomson owns the highest winning percentage (.568) in Phillies franchise history and guided them to four postseason appearances in four years. He’s only the fourth manager in MLB history to reach the postseason in each of his first four seasons.
The Phillies were 9-19 when he was fired, but he shouldn’t be blamed for Phillies’ offense to go AWOL, their rotation hitting the skids, and the defense becoming erratic.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alex Cora declined Phillies manager job after being fired by Red Sox