With Alex Cora turning down the Philadelphia Phillies for the second time this year, the club is now left to reconsider its options for the vacant manager position.

According to a report from The Athletic, now with an offseason lockout looming, his decision makes a possible return for interim manager Don Mattingly increasingly appealing.

Cora was Philadelphia’s first choice after the team fired Rob Thomson in April, but he ultimately decided to spend the rest of the 2026 season with his family. However, the Phillies reconsidered the possibility after their postseason exit, only for Cora to again decline the opportunity.

That leaves the Phillies with a decision to make, and Mattingly could now become the cleanest solution.

Mattingly took over after Thomson’s firing and guided Philadelphia from a 9-19 start to a playoff berth. The Phillies went 79-55 under him, a .590 winning percentage that ranked among the best in baseball during that stretch.

Mattingly is already under contract for 2027 as Philadelphia’s bench coach, meaning the organization would not need to make a major structural change to keep him in charge. He is also expected to remain with the Phillies in some capacity if the team chooses another manager, with a potential front-office advisory role among the options on the table.

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There were flaws during Mattingly’s tenure, particularly his bullpen management and the team’s late-season slide. Philadelphia struggled offensively in September and narrowly secured its postseason spot before being eliminated by the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card Series.

Still, continuity could carry extra value this offseason. An expected owner-imposed MLB lockout beginning Dec. 1 would prevent team personnel from communicating with players.

If anything, that makes it more difficult for a new manager to establish relationships and prepare for the season.