Alex Cora is ready to hit pause on baseball — all for good reasons.
The former Red Sox manager, who was fired in April, informed the Phillies he is planning to sit out next season even though he seemed to be the favorite for the managerial job.
The reason largely revolves around family matters, as Cora is set to get married in a month to longtime partner, Angelica Feliciano.
Cora, 50, proposed to Feliciano in November 2025, sharing one photo of him putting the engagement ring on her finger on Instagram and writing “To be continued” as the caption.
The wedding bells are nearly ringing for what will be a big baseball-tied wedding for the two families from Puerto Rico.
Cora’s father, the late José Manuel Cora, founded a Little League program at home and was a baseball reporter and broadcaster. His older brother, Joey, also played in MLB and has over 20 years of coaching experience. He is currently a free agent after parting ways with the Tigers in July.
While growing up, Cora knew of Feliciano’s father, a pitcher who served as the Olympic flag-bearer for the country in the 1988 Seoul Games. “He’s a legend back home,” Cora said when speaking to The Boston Globe in 2024 about his relationship.
Cora and Feliciano have been tied to one another since 2016. Yet their love story was planted long before then.
Cora and Feliciano’s brother, Jésus Feliciano, were apart of the Dodgers organization in the late 1990s and early 2000s together — the former as a big league infielder and the latter in the minors.
The pair also played for the Mets during the 2009-10 season, which included Feliciano’s big league debut at 31-years-old.
“He took care of me,” said Feliciano. “He took me under his wing my entire career. I really appreciate everything he did for me.”
The couple has raised twin sons together, Xander Gabriel and Isander Manuel. Cora also has a daughter, Camilia, with his ex-wife Nildamarie Lecleres-Vazquez.
Feliciano, who remains private and is often out of the public eye, explained that the two try to “create a balance” during the offseason by allowing some separation from baseball in Puerto Rico. Yet it’s difficult to stay away when both families have a constant pulse on it.
In 2024, Cora was inducted into the Puerto Rican Sports Hall of Fame and months later the couple supported Jesús when he was inducted into the Caribbean Series Hall of Fame in Miami.
“If it’s up to me, for balance, I’d stay away from it,” Cora said. “[The Felicianos’] parents love going to the game, my sisters, everybody. Sometimes we have to go because everybody is there.”
Cora and Feliciano also share a passion for running and the two competed in the New York City Marathon together in 2025.
He completed the race in 4:37:51, while Feliciano came in with a time of 5:00:17.
In 2024, Cora and his sons supported Feliciano as she ran the Boston Marathon. “Celebrating mom!!!!
Thank you @felicianoangelica for showing us the way. Proud of you!” he wrote on Instagram.
The two also find time to travel and go to fun events with their kids, including a Coldplay concert in July 2025.
“I’m very proud of what they’ve accomplished on the field, but for people to recognize what they’ve accomplished off the field means more,” Feliciano said. “I understand the preparation that goes into it, the sacrifices that come into play through this profession. I love it and I’m proud of it.”
Following a 10-17 start, Cora was fired along with four members of his coaching staff.
Triple-A skipper Chad Tracy went on to lead Boston to the wild-card round, where they were eliminated by the Yankees for the second consecutive year. This time, they were swept in two games and lost by a combined score of 18-2.
Cora had been with the team since 2018 and left with a 619-541 record.
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