The manager of the Boston Red Sox, Alex Cora, has formally declared that he is leaving the team.

 

At the conclusion of the 2024 season, a number of Boston Red Sox players will be eligible to sign free agents. However, not just athletes have the option to leave at the end of the season.

Alex Cora, the manager of the Red Sox, who won the World Series, is about to enter the last year of his contract. Although he has been giving conflicting signals about what he wants to do next, many reporters and insiders are finding it difficult to think of a good reason for Cora to stay.

In the most recent “Foul Territory” podcast episode, Ken Rosenthal discussed his opinions regarding Cora’s possible choices and might have revealed something to Boston supporters.

He began his comments by expressing what most of Red Sox Nation has been thinking for a while: the way the Red Sox organisation has been run in recent years is puzzling.

Since none of Boston’s previous intentions for anything else make sense, it’s impossible to know what their goals are with Cora.

For Cora’s last season, a lot is on the line. Cora’s working relationship with new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is unknown; the front office has handed him another subpar squad to manage, and a return could be conditioned on this year’s results.

There’s a chance the Red Sox would want to bring Cora back if they are successful this season and manage to put together a winning record, which is becoming less and less likely with each passing day.

It’s also likely that, as they did with Chaim Bloom, they will use him as a scapegoat if they perform poorly. The front management can easily point the finger at him and blame Boston’s subpar play over the past four years.

Not even a genius can argue that Cora is not to blame for the Red Sox’s current situation.

Cora might be a highly sought-after player by other teams, though, if the Red Sox exceed expectations this season. Imagine what he could accomplish on a team with star power if he could assemble a winning team with the Red Sox squad he currently has.

Cora might be interested in exploring the free agency market following Craig Counsell’s record-breaking contract signing with the Cubs this winter.

With so little assistance from the front office, he could probably command a decent paycheck for himself after putting together consecutive competitive seasons.

Regardless of how well the Red Sox play this season, Alex Cora appears to be on the verge of leaving.

Rosenthal also acknowledged Cora’s own desires, which are likely the most significant element in her choice. The captain has not made it clear if he intends to continue as manager in Boston.

Although he previously informed Red Sox media that he doesn’t expect to manage for another 10 years, he told Rosenthal that he had no intentions to put his Newton, Massachusetts, house up for sale.

Cora’s deliberate ambiguity regarding his goals is probably a reflection of the mindset within the front office. There might not be any plans for Cora. It’s possible that management is delaying making judgements until after the season.

It will be challenging to find a replacement for Cora if she decides to go. Several applicants for chief baseball officer were rejected from interviews with the Red Sox due to ownership’s blatant interference in personnel decisions.

For the benefit of the 2025 team, the Red Sox organisation ought to devote the remainder of the 2024 season to attempting to improve its reputation. This summer might be as terrible as the next if they can’t get Cora to sign again.