Following his dismissal by the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, Alex Cora was quickly named as a candidate for the Philadelphia Phillies’ managerial position just three days before the Phillies parted ways with their own manager, Rob Thomson. On Tuesday, reports emerged that Philadelphia had extended an offer to Cora, but the 50-year-old former infielder declined in order to focus on family time.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski who held the same role with the Red Sox from 2015 to 2019—spoke to reporters Tuesday about the team’s pursuit of Cora. “I talked to him on Sunday morning,” Dombrowski said, as quoted by Red Sox reporter Gabrielle Starr of The Boston Herald. “We discussed the possibility of him taking the managerial job. I had come to the conclusion that if he accepted, I was going to make a change. I thought he might take it.”
Dombrowski, 69, who previously served as GM for the Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, and Montreal Expos, also revealed that Cora reached out to him shortly after being let go by Boston. “He actually called me Saturday night as a friend after he heard the news,” Dombrowski told Starr. “He considers me one of his mentors. We talked, and he had never experienced being fired before.”
Despite nearly seven years having passed since they worked together, Dombrowski said he remains close with Cora. “I think Alex Cora is one of the best managers in baseball,” the Phillies’ executive said, per Starr. “I’ve been fortunate to work with Hall of Fame managers like Tony La Russa and Jim Leyland. If Alex decides to manage again, I believe he has the potential to be in that same class.”
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