Alex Cora agrees to three year extension with the Red Sox!
Full reaction of the Alex Cora extension with the Bastards of Boston Baseball!
JASON KELLY:
Alex Cora’s contract extension is, ultimately, a positive development both for him and the Red Sox as an organization.
It signals to the fanbase that the team is committed to winning and keeping this core together, rather than just letting Cora walk to New York or Los Angeles to seek another deal.
The 3-year length of the extension is really telling in terms of how Cora feels about this team and its future. He obviously knows that they are not a World Series contender right now but they are certainly a playoff-caliber team at this moment.
With the trade deadline right around the corner, Cora will want Breslow to invest in the 2024 and not just take the easy way out and perform a fire sale.
Additionally, this gives Cora time to assess how legitimate some of the Red Sox’ future pieces are. The “Big 3” should and likely will all be on the major league roster at some point in the next three years.
The front office sees Kyle Teel, Marcelo Mayer, and Roman Anthony as the future of the franchise, but they have to prove it at the big league level in order for that to be true.
Should Teel, Mayer, and Anthony prove to be legit then Cora might just want another extension three years from now. The front office will gain his trust and provide him with an impressive foundation of young players to build a championship contender around, much like Baltimore has done.
However, if the “Big 3” are more like “Big Busts” then Cora will have the freedom to walk after just three years.
JEREMY SCHILLING:
When the news first broke that Alex Cora was resigning, I was ecstatic. However, in the days since, and after listening to Cora speak, my excitement has dwindled.
Initially I thought he would not have signed unless he got assurances from management and Breslow that the team was going to dump resources into the current roster and moving forward.
However, after hearing his comments regarding the decision being based on his family and continuing to raise his kids in Boston, I am less excited.
Don't get me wrong, Alex Cora is the best fit for the Boston Red Sox and will help make less talented rosters competitive, as you are seeing with this year's club.
Let's hope ownership is committed to winning and will support Cora and the big league club with talent.
NICK DIAMOND:
On Wednesday afternoon, Alex Cora and the Boston Red Sox agreed to terms on a three year and $21.75 million dollar contract extension.
This extension makes Cora the second highest paid manager of all time just behind Craig Counsell.
Cora as a player, had only made $14,975,000 over 14 years. With this new extension he will almost match that after two of three seasons.
After making it clear that he was not willing to participate in contract negotiations throughout the season, this extension came very surprising to Red Sox fans.
Leading up to the extension, I would have said there was a 100 percent chance Cora would be managing a different team in 2025. That does not mean I am not extremely happy that ownership got this deal done. He has done an exceptional job with the team he was handed this season.
So far Cora has outlasted Dombrowski, Bloom, and now extended under Breslow. This extension proves that the Red Sox ownership values Alex Cora over anyone else within the organization. I
For another three years, I am just glad this team will have a good experienced manager leading it.
TERRY CUSHMAN JR:
Most Red Sox fans have a love hate relationship with Alex Cora. Does he have his quirks? Yes. Are they annoying sometimes? Yes.
But the alternative to Cora, who would likely be some nerd that Breslow handpicks, could not only be very inadequate, but scary.
Not to mention, regardless of who got the job, it would still be Alex Cora’s clubhouse on 2025, even if he were managing the Dodgers.
The other important aspect of retaining Cora, is that it will keep the Red Sox far away from going full blown analytics. Cora will have the final say in everything that takes place on the field.
I’ve always said, the manager of your baseball team should be the smartest person in the organization. And while the clowns in the Red Sox front office and owner’s seat set that bar pretty low, it was all that much more critical to retain Alex Cora.