PHILADELPHIA — Alex Cora was offered a managerial position by the Philadelphia Phillies after being fired by the Boston Red Sox.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski reached out to Cora, but he declined for family reasons. The Phillies then appointed Don Mattingly as interim manager after firing Rob Thomson on Tuesday. Thomson had led the team to multiple playoff appearances, including the 2022 World Series, but the team struggled this season.

Mattingly, a former Yankees great, will now work alongside his son, Preston Mattingly, the Phillies’ general manager. The Phillies hope Mattingly can turn the season around and aim for a wild-card spot.

Expansion for Madness set?

The NCAA is still deliberating expanding March Madness on both the men’s and women’s sides to 76 teams for next season. The much-expected development has been in the works for years.

The NCAA released a brief statement Tuesday in the wake of an ESPN report that cited unnamed sources saying a decision to add eight teams to the bracket is a mere formality that’s expected in May.

The statement says “no final recommendations or decisions have been made.” The tournaments have been at 68 teams since 2011, when four play-in games were added to the beginning of the first week of play. The new format would add eight more play-in games.