The Philadelphia Phillies may be running out of reasons to make another managerial change.

After Alex Cora reportedly turned down the Phillies for a second time and indicated that he does not intend to manage during the 2027 season, attention is suddenly shifting back toward the man who guided Philadelphia out of its biggest hole in 2026: Don Mattingly.

According to reporting from Matt Gelb and Jayson Stark, the Phillies could ask Mattingly to return as manager next season. That would represent a significant change from the expectations immediately following Philadelphia’s postseason elimination, when reports indicated the organization was preparing to move on from him.

Mattingly is already under contract with Philadelphia through 2027 after originally signing as Rob Thomson’s bench coach. The question now is whether Dave Dombrowski removes the interim label and gives him the full-time job.

And perhaps the bigger question is this:

Would the Phillies actually be better with Mattingly back?

There is a strong argument that they could be.

MATTINGLY DID SOMETHING THE PHILLIES DESPERATELY NEEDED

When Mattingly took over, Philadelphia was in serious trouble.

The Phillies had started the season 9-19, leading to Thomson’s dismissal in April. Mattingly inherited a veteran roster that had expectations of competing for a championship but suddenly looked completely out of rhythm.

Instead of watching the season collapse, Mattingly stabilized the clubhouse.

Philadelphia went 79-55 under him, a remarkable turnaround that ultimately carried the team into the postseason.

That record should not be dismissed simply because the Phillies eventually lost to Atlanta in the Wild Card Series.

A manager cannot control every aspect of a roster.

He cannot manufacture bullpen depth.

He cannot turn every struggling hitter into an All-Star.

And he certainly cannot hit or pitch for his players.

What Mattingly did was get a struggling team moving in the right direction.

THE PLAYERS CLEARLY RESPONDED TO HIM

Perhaps the strongest argument for Mattingly is not his record.

It is the way Philadelphia’s players talked about him.

Trea Turner praised Mattingly’s calm and direct communication. Aaron Nola said the players loved him, while Kyle Schwarber credited his demeanor with helping the team move forward after the difficult managerial change. J.T. Realmuto was even more emphatic, saying the players believed Mattingly did a great job.

That matters.

A manager’s job is not simply to make lineup cards and make pitching changes.

Managing a veteran clubhouse is about relationships, accountability and communication.

Philadelphia has plenty of established personalities, and Mattingly appeared capable of earning their respect without trying to overpower them.

That could be extremely valuable in 2027.

ALEX CORA WAS THE DREAM OPTION FOR DAVE DOMBROWSKI

There is no question that Cora was viewed as a preferred candidate.

Dombrowski and Cora won a World Series together with Boston in 2018, and the Phillies president of baseball operations has spoken extremely highly of Cora’s managerial abilities.

But Cora has now said no twice.

The latest decision reportedly has more to do with family considerations than Philadelphia itself, and Cora intends to sit out the 2027 season.

That changes the equation.

The Phillies can no longer plan around the possibility of landing Cora.

They have to make a decision based on the candidates actually available.

And suddenly, Mattingly looks much more attractive.

THE BIGGEST MISTAKE WOULD BE BLAMING MATTINGLY FOR EVERYTHING

If Philadelphia brings Mattingly back, the organization cannot pretend that changing managers will automatically solve the team’s problems.

That would be the wrong lesson.

The Phillies’ biggest issues extend beyond the dugout.

The roster needs attention. The bullpen needs improvement. The organization needs more depth. And Philadelphia has to determine whether its veteran core still has enough left to make another serious championship run.

The 2026 postseason exit exposed some of those problems.

The Phillies were eliminated by Atlanta in the Wild Card Series despite making the postseason for the fifth consecutive year.

Changing Mattingly would not magically fix those weaknesses.

In fact, keeping him could allow Dombrowski to spend more energy addressing the roster rather than starting over with another manager.

WHY CONTINUITY COULD HELP PHILADELPHIA

There is something to be said for continuity.

Mattingly already knows the players.

He knows the clubhouse.

He knows the coaching staff.

He knows the organization’s expectations.

Most importantly, he knows exactly what went wrong during the 2026 season.

A new manager would have to spend months learning the personalities and dynamics of the roster.

Mattingly would not.

That could be particularly important if the Phillies are preparing for another difficult season with a veteran-heavy roster.

The organization does not need another reset for the sake of making a change.

It needs the right change.

BUT THERE IS STILL A REASON TO BE SKEPTICAL

Bringing Mattingly back would not be a perfect solution.

The Phillies went 79-55 under him, but they also struggled down the stretch and were eliminated quickly once the postseason arrived.

That means Dombrowski still has to ask difficult questions.

Can Mattingly take this team from being a playoff team to a championship team?

Can he manage the pressure of a full season without the “interim” label?

Can he make the difficult decisions involving veterans when necessary?

And perhaps most importantly, does Dombrowski genuinely believe Mattingly is the manager who can lead this particular roster to a World Series?

Those questions deserve honest answers.

THE PHILLIES NEED MORE THAN A NEW MANAGER

This is where the offseason becomes fascinating.

If Mattingly returns, the Phillies should not treat the managerial decision as the centerpiece of their offseason.

The roster should be the priority.

Philadelphia has reached the postseason repeatedly, but simply making October is no longer enough.

The organization has championship expectations.

The Phillies need better depth, more reliable pitching options and enough offensive consistency to prevent another season from ending with the same frustrations.

Mattingly can potentially be part of the solution.

He cannot be the entire solution.

MY PREDICTION: MATTINGLY GETS THE JOB

If the latest reports are accurate, I would expect Mattingly to have a legitimate shot at returning as the Phillies’ full-time manager.

Cora was apparently the preferred option.

But Cora is unavailable.

Mattingly already has the respect of the clubhouse, produced a dramatic turnaround and is already under contract with the organization.

That combination makes him a logical choice.

The Phillies could still conduct a broader search, and other experienced managers may emerge as possibilities. But unless Dombrowski becomes convinced that another candidate is clearly superior, retaining Mattingly makes plenty of sense.

The real challenge will come afterward.

If Mattingly returns, Philadelphia cannot simply run back the same roster and expect different results.

SO, WILL THE PHILLIES IMPROVE WITH MATTINGLY?

I think they can — but only if the front office improves the roster around him.

Mattingly demonstrated in 2026 that he can stabilize this team and get production from a group that appeared headed for disaster.

That deserves recognition.

But the Phillies’ ultimate goal is not to win 79 games after a terrible start.

It is not simply to reach the playoffs.

It is to win the World Series.

If Mattingly returns, Dombrowski must give him a better-equipped roster and address the weaknesses that ultimately exposed Philadelphia in October.

The manager may not have been the biggest problem.

And after Cora’s latest rejection, the Phillies may finally be realizing that.

If Don Mattingly is back in 2027, the pressure will be enormous — but perhaps that’s exactly what Philadelphia needs.