The Boston Red Sox may be headed toward a trade deadline where they could make an acquisition or two, but they may have already made the best move they could - extending manager Alex Cora's contract for another three seasons.
Cora, who has led Boston for six of the last seasons, clearly has the respect and admiration of his roster and the fan base, but this decision proves how much the new front office regime believes in him.
After the extension was announced, Red Sox president Sam Kennedy spoke about Cora and his importance to the team.
“(The value of the commitment) speaks to what Alex means to us and what he means to the Red Sox organization,” Kennedy said (via. MassLive). “Yes, he’s our manager but he’s so much more than that. He rightly has become the face of the franchise in so many ways. He just cares so much. He connects with our fans in the most authentic way. Equally as important, he connects with our players. He connects with every member of the front office and that’s just a huge testament to him.
“He’s an all-in kind of guy. We wanted to express the all-in nature of our feelings for him. That was only possible once he and Bres had time to work together and Bres made the decision that this was indeed the guy he wanted for the long-term. We couldn’t be happier that it worked out.”
With Cora now locked in until 2027, and Boston having a young roster, there's a chance for some real stability in the coming years.
Now, the Red Sox will just need to add a piece or two at this deadline, and this week will be a success.
