Typically, losing 20-7 – with a bench-clearing brawl, no less – qualifies as a pretty bad day.
But out of the blue on Wednesday afternoon, the Red Sox and manager Alex Cora agreed on a three-year, $21.75 million extension that will keep him in Boston through the 2027 season.
News of the deal – first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Buster Olney – broke as the Red Sox and last-place Rockies were playing the first inning of their series finale in Colorado.
It would be an understatement to say the extension comes out of left field. With his previous contract set to expire at the end of this year, Cora has been asked about his future countless times over the last several months. He’s deflected at nearly every opportunity, diplomatically answering that he didn’t want to talk about contracts during the season, and was keeping his focus is on the team and their campaign.
He’s even asked the media why he kept getting the question. To the outside world, at least, it seemed there were no extension discussions happening at 4 Jersey St. during the ongoing season, let alone while the team was on a road trip to California and Colorado.
Extending Cora makes sense. His players love and respect him. He’s managed this club through the highest highs and lowest lows. He’s shepherded this burgeoning young core of Rafael Devers – who debuted seven years ago Thursday and is the last remaining member of Cora’s inaugural Red Sox team in 2018 – and Jarren Duran, Tanner Houck, among others. He’s the fourth-winningest manager in franchise history, behind Joe Cronin, Terry Francona and Pinky Higgins. He’s led Boston to the postseason twice, including their MLB-leading fourth championship this century. And he played for the Red Sox and won a ring here, too; against the Rockies, coincidentally.
Whether he wanted to stay in Boston, however, was unclear. After Francona’s retirement announcement last October, Cora, one of several MLB managers who played for him, said he didn’t plan on doing the job nearly as long as “Tito.” He’s talked about doing baseball work back home in Puerto Rico, and not wanting to miss out on too much of his twin sons’ childhood. (They turned seven while the Red Sox were on this week’s road trip to Los Angeles and Denver.)
Though Cora often speaks of his love for Boston, Fenway Park, and the Red Sox organization, he’s admitted that last season took a toll on his mental and physical health. When he arrived at spring training 30 pounds lighter and announced he’d started running several miles every morning, he looked and sounded like a man ready for change. There’s been speculation that several teams would make him offers if he became a free agent, including the Dodgers, Yankees and Phillies, so if the Red Sox were going to continue not spending like a big-market team and be content finishing in last place again, he’d land on his feet.
Cora also knew that what he wanted would also be largely irrelevant if he wasn’t the man the new Red Sox chief baseball officer wanted for the job; Craig Breslow could’ve chosen to ride out the year, thanked Cora for his contributions, and installed his own manager.
In flying to Colorado this week to ensure the deal got done, Breslow made it clear: this is his manager. Cora is the manager Breslow wants as the Red Sox prepare to add Marcelo Mayer, Kyle Teel and Roman Anthony to the homegrown powerhouse they’ve been building, and the manager they see leading said powerhouse back to October.
The players certainly agree.
“How do you know that this was the right decision?” Breslow told reporters. “When I walked into the clubhouse, I got a round of applause.”
According to multiple sources in the organization, Cora has been talking about taking the team back to the World Series this year since the end of last season. But amidst a quiet offseason and an even lower payroll this year, it was unclear if ownership shared the skipper’s goals and priorities.
That Cora not only agreed to discuss an extension midseason, but finalized one, is the strongest evidence in a long time that the Red Sox are prioritizing winning again.
“There were two things I wanted, I wanted to win and I wanted security for my family, and we have accomplished both,” Cora told reporters. “Where we’re at, where we’re going, is what I want.”
Just in time for the trade deadline this coming Tuesday, July 30. Breslow has confirmed the Red Sox plan to be buyers.
Maybe it’s a ‘full throttle’ year after all.
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Source: Tampa Bay Times
