Red Sox: New manager must maintain culture that Alex Cora created
By Max Bozicas
The Boston Red Sox have moved on from Alex Cora following the revelation of his role in the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal. Now, they need a new manager.
The Boston Red Sox have had a disastrous offseason to say the very least. Things may have reached a peak in recent days as the team announced Tuesday night that they would be parting ways with manager Alex Cora.
Cora’s involvement in the Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing via video camera/trash can combo and subsequent use of the replay room for the same purpose with the Red Sox in 2018 (not nearly as bad as what happened in Houston but still not allowed by MLB) has put him in a position to be severely punished.
It is technically not a year-long suspension for Jeff Luhnow and AJ Hinch. Their suspensions begin today and conclude the day after the 2020 World Series ends.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 13, 2020
It is still a massive suspension -- and considering Alex Cora's apparently culpability, his is bound to be far longer.
Cora is rightfully out of a job and deserves whatever sanction he receives from MLB. There is one major aspect of his time as manager of the Red Sox that the team should consider searching for in his replacement. Cora’s ability to connect with his players was quite noticeable and was very refreshing.
You can say what you want about the 2018 season. Maybe you think less of it now. Regardless, the reality is that the team’s morale was highly boosted thanks to Cora. Despite his bad choices he did help establish a clubhouse culture that contented each player on the roster.
Whoever the Red Sox decide to roll with as Cora’s successor should share that quality. Don’t hire another John Farrell, and if they are going to promote from within then it needs to be someone well-liked within the entire organization.
A candidate who had experience playing in the majors like Cora would be solid, but there aren’t exactly a bunch of retired players who are truly ready to be managers growing on trees. It would need to be the right fit to ensure that the team has a chance to compete while maintaining a good environment internally.
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There’s been a demand by fans on social media for Jason Varitek, who is currently a member of the front office. I’m not sure how realistic that is, but Varitek is a well respected former player of the Red Sox who knows the game very well and would be able to relate to current players on the roster. Still, it seems outlandish.
Whether they decide to hire someone currently with the organization or land an outside candidate, this much is for certain: It really wouldn’t be so bad for them to be like Alex Cora. Obviously, and this goes without saying, just try not to hire a rule-breaker who might get kicked out of the league in two years.
Cora’s time as manager of the Red Sox won’t be remembered as fondly as we had hoped. That being said, the silver lining amidst the controversy surrounding him is that he steered the clubhouse in the right direction. Now, it’s on the front office to find the right replacement who will keep it that way.
Next. Is there possible redemption for Alex Cora?. dark
It would honestly be ideal for the only difference between Alex Cora and the next manager of the Red Sox to be that the new guy isn’t linked to any cheating scandals. Hopefully, for the team it won’t be a tough task to find someone like that. When everything is said and done though it’s hard to deny the impact Cora had on his players and his successor must be able to match it.