Phillies Boss Sends ‘Very Good’ Alex Cora Message As He Mulls Manager Return

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 08: Trea Turner # 7 of the Philadelphia Phillies and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski smile during their press conference at Citizens Bank Park on December 8, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Former Boston Red Sox manager and World Series champion Alex Cora has already received interest after a surprising dismissal earlier this year, including an opportunity from a familiar face in Philadelphia.

Cora hasn’t spoken publicly much since being fired from the Red Sox, but he recently offered his most expansive thoughts on his tenure and his future in a dugout during a recent podcast appearance.

For this season, Cora has chosen to spend time away from the dugout while considering what he wants from the next stage of his career. But his former boss, Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, offered him the manager’s job in Philadelphia before pivoting to Don Mattingly.

Cora recently confirmed that during an appearance on “Dirt From The Dugout.”

But Cora also hinted that he could be ready to take a big-league job in the near future, depending on how his sons and fiance, Angelica Feliciano, feel about it.

“I think at one point, I’m gonna get back,” Cora said. “If you ask the boys, they want me to manage and they have their teams. If you ask Angelica, she’s very polite about it. Let’s see what the future holds.”

Given their history together in Boston, the recent job offer and the likelihood that Cora returns to the dugout, Dombrowski was asked about his plans to install the former Red Sox manager in Don Mattingly’s role next year.

“Alex Cora did a great job for us in Boston,” Dombrowski told Jon Heyman during an episode of the New York Post Sports’ The Show podcast released on Tuesday. “He’s, to me, a very good big league manager. He’s a friend of mine at this point… Tremendous person and when you mention those good managers, he’s right in that same topic of conversation.”

Dombrowski added that he and the team are focused solely on this season, but depending on how Mattingly finishes the season, Cora would be the presumptive favorite for the skipper’s job in 2027 if he is ready to return.

For Cora, the immediate priority appears to be deciding when — and where — he wants to return. But if Cora eventually decides that the time is right to return to a dugout, that endorsement could make the Phillies relationship worth watching again.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com