The Mariners just lost a major name from their manager hunt, because Alex Cora officially confirmed late Tuesday he’s sitting out the entire 2027 season. That’s right, sources confirmed he won’t be managing anywhere next year, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale was the first to report that Phillies president Dave Dombrowski even talked to Cora about their opening. But Cora’s taking the year off, leaving our M’s with one less potential candidate in their search for a new skipper after firing Dan Wilson.
The Real Reasons Cora Is Staying Home
So why is Cora saying no to the dugout? It’s a mix of money and family, but mostly family. He’s still under contract with the Red Sox, who fired him back on April 25 and replaced him with Chad Tracy. Boston is on the hook for over $7.25 million to Cora in 2027, which is the final year of a three-year deal he signed in July 2024. That’s a nice chunk of change to collect without punching in. But sources say the biggest factor is family. Cora’s been loving life as a “full-time dad” to his nine-year-old twin sons, Xander and Isander, down in Puerto Rico. He even said on an August podcast with Karl Ravech, “I needed my family, for how much I love the game. I’ll say it again, it’s three different feelings: happy for my family, upset that they didn’t let me finish the job and honestly, relieved I don’t have to go through scouting reports and the matrix and talk to the media twice a day and live in the bubble of, ‘We have to do this.’ At the end, priorities are priorities. These people here are amazing and they’re loving life.” You can’t fault a guy for putting his kids first, especially with that kind of money coming in. Plus, there’s the whole uncertainty around a potential MLB lockout with the collective bargaining agreement expiring December 1. Who wants to jump into a new job right before a work stoppage?
No Phillies, No Mariners: A Dugout Stays Empty
This isn’t the first time Cora has told the Phillies to kick rocks, either. It’s actually the second time in six months. After the Red Sox gave him the boot in late April, Dombrowski called him up then too, only for Cora to say he was taking the rest of that season off. Philly then canned Rob Thomson, brought in Don Mattingly as interim, and now Mattingly is on the hot seat. So, no go for Philly, and by extension, no go for our Mariners, who officially have a “true opening” at manager, unlike some other teams who might just be considering changes, like the Astros or Angels. Cora, who turns 51 later this month, has completely detached from the game since his firing. He’s barely done interviews and straight-up declined to talk about the end of his Red Sox tenure. He even passed on media work during the postseason, after being an ESPN analyst before coaching. But don’t count him out forever. He’s said he’s open to returning to an analyst role or even a front office gig, and he definitely plans on managing again someday. “I think at one point, I’m gonna get back,” he told Ravech. “When? We don’t know. We don’t know.” He even mentioned his fiancée, Angelica, and the twins have different opinions on it. “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.”
So what’s next for our M’s? The dugout at T-Mobile Park is still open, and with Cora off the board, the front office has to keep digging for the right leader to guide our squad. The search continues, Emerald City!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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