The Philadelphia Phillies have tried hard to land former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora in the wake of his April firing. Dave Dombrowski — the man who originally hired Cora in Boston nine years ago — twice offered him a job with Philly, which Cora declined.
So Dombrowski went out and got the next best thing. He's reportedly hired former Red Sox hitting coach Pete Fatse as the Phillies' next hitting coach, according to Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic (subscription required). The Phillies have not yet announced the move officially, but Varnes heard the news through anonymous sources in the organization.
The Red Sox in 2019 hired Fatse as their assistant hitting coach and he was promoted to hitting coach in 2022. He held the position for nearly four years until he was fired alongside Cora and four other coaches on April 25 after an ugly start to the 2026 season. He spent time as a consultant in the Tampa Bay Rays organization after his firing.
Varnes notes that during the majority of Fatse's tenure, from 2022-25, the Red Sox ranked fouth in batting average, 11th in on-base percentage and sixth in slugging percentage. The Green Monster undoubtedly helps with that, as Fenway Park's dimensions are friendly to home run hitters, and the Red Sox often lead the league in doubles.
Phillies' hiring of former Red Sox hitting coach Pete Fatse could be an attempt to lure Alex Cora there in 2028
The Phillies' Fatse hire could be an attempt to pull Cora to their team when he returns from his hiatus from baseball. Cora has already said he has no plans to manage in 2027 (he's being paid by the Red Sox for the year, the final one of his three-year extension from the middle of the 2024 season), but that doesn't rule out a return in the future.
However, Cora appeared on the October 26 episode of Rob Bradford's "Baseball Isn't Boring" pocast and said he isn't sure if he wants to return to managing at all. Many members of the Red Sox beat have theorized that Cora may someday want to transition into a front office role, which could be his next move in baseball.
Cora was protective of his coaches during his tenure with the Red Sox, standing by them even when the front office called their abilities into question. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow reportedly tried to fire Fatse in the past, but Cora wouldnt allow it, saying he'd have to fire both of them. Eventually, Breslow did.
Dombrowski is clearly determined to get Cora a job with his Phillies. Whether or not hiring Fatse is good enough motivation for Cora to return to managing will wait until 2028 to be seen.
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