In late April, the Boston Red Sox made a shocking decision to fire Alex Cora and several of his assistant coaches. At the time, it was seen as a way for Red Sox CBO Craig Breslow to try to take more control of the organization after internal tension and on-field struggles that had put Breslow on the hot seat.
Despite the surprise that came with the move, it may have been what the Red Sox needed, as they would eventually find a spark under then interim and now full-time manager Chad Tracy. Still, outside the Red Sox organization, it meant that a well-respected manager who has won a World Series and is still relatively young hit the open market. It was enough for the Philadelphia Phillies to want to make a quick move.
Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski fired Rob Thomson in the days following the Cora firing. It would also be reported at the time that Dombrowski quickly offered Cora the Phillies job. However, he wanted to spend some time with his family and avoid jumping in with a new team in the middle of the season.
Regardless, there was still an assumption that the Phillies job would be there for Cora following the season. That is, if he wanted it.
Former Boston Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Shared His 2027 Plans
For the second time in a calendar year, Alex Cora is turning down the Phillies. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported late on Tuesday night that Cora will not be taking the job, despite conversations about it.
“Dave Dombrowski, Phillies president of baseball operations, spoke with Cora about becoming their manager in 2027, but Cora informed Dombrowski he’s taking the season off, a high-ranking Phillies executive with direct knowledge of their talks told USA TODAY Sports,” Nightengale wrote.
“The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Phillies still have not decided who will manage their team.”
So, Cora isn’t just turning down the Phillies job for a different one. Instead, he’ll continue to take some time away from baseball and with his family. There doesn’t need to be a rush for Cora, after all, as he’s still going to be paid by the Red Sox in 2027. In fact, Boston is on the hook for around $7.25 million next year. As long as he spends wisely, Cora doesn’t need to take any job at all.
Whenever Cora does return to managing, he’ll still have plenty of teams interested in what he brings. After all, there are only so many World Series-winning managers available at any given time.
For their part, the Red Sox are happy with Chad Tracy. The hope is that he’s more on the same page with Craig Breslow than Cora was, and the regular season turnaround is nothing to ignore, even if the postseason was a disaster.
The Red Sox and What’s Next for Jason Varitek
Among the Red Sox coaches fired when Alex Cora was let go was Jason Varitek. A legendary figure within the city of Boston, Varitek won two World Series as a player, was within the organization’s front office for another two World Series, and had been a uniformed coach in recent years.
Because of Varitek’s status, the Red Sox tried to emphasize that he was going to be given a new role. That took the teeth out of the firing, but no new role has come to this point.
Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy still didn’t have an update during the team’s end-of-season press conference, either.
“We’ve connected with each other, but we’ve got no update on that,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy would also be asked if he is currently with the organization. Kennedy admitted, “He is not. But look forward to continuing dialogue as we go forward.”
Whether or not that changes remains to be seen. For now, though, it’s another awkward situation that came out of the Red Sox moving on from several coaches along with Cora.
Ex-Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Makes Decision on 2027, Phillies Job