The Boston Red Sox announced today that they have hired Alex Cora as their new manager. The deal is for three years and includes a club option for 2021. This hiring comes after the team announced that John Farrell would not return as manager after the Sox lost in four games to the Houston Astros in the ALDS.
Alex Cora’s deal to manage #RedSox will be for three years, sources tell The Athletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 21, 2017
Alex Cora Named Red Sox Manager
Cora will be the 47th manager in the Red Sox illustrious history. He comes to Boston after only one year as the bench coach of the Houston Astros. The Astros and the Red Sox are not allowed to comment any further on this news until after Houston finishes with the World Series. Cora is quite familiar with the organization; he played with the Red Sox for four years, and hit .252 with six home runs over that span. His career lasted 14 years, during which he compiled a .243 batting average and 35 home runs. He won the World Series with Boston in 2007. He may win it again with the Astros this year.
Before his job as bench coach of the Astros, he was also a baseball analyst for four years at ESPN Deportes. Cora also has some GM experience, as he has served for five years as the general manager of Criollos de de Caguas of the Puerto Rican Winter League. For two of those years, he served as the team’s manager, leading them to their first Caribbean Series title since 2000. He was also the general manager of the Puerto Rico team at the World Baseball Classic, and led that team to a second place finish in the tournament. Cora has long been considered a managerial candidate; he was always regarded as one of the smartest players in the game, and that didn’t change when he switched to coaching.
The pieces that Cora will have to build his new team around have to get him excited. Players like Chris Sale, Mookie Betts, and Xander Bogearts help round out a very solid foundation. For now, Red Sox fans are hoping that his luck with Houston will transfer over and lead to another championship for the Sox.
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