Red Sox News: Sam Kennedy speaks on investigation and Alex Cora

Now that the Boston Red Sox can move on from the MLB’s investigation they can look towards the future. Does it include a return for Alex Cora?

The MLB’s investigation is complete and now the Red Sox can focus solely on 2020 and beyond. As more information about the coronavirus develops each day, we could be getting closer to baseball being back in our lives. Then again, we could be nowhere near it, uncertainty is a hell of a thing.

Getting that pesky investigation out of the way was a major step towards the future of the organization. The team’s first big step into 2020 was to remove Ron Roenicke’s interim title for this season. He’s the captain at the helm of the ship and will lead the Red Sox into whatever storm this season will become. What comes after that is the big question for Boston to answer.

Red Sox President and CEO Sam Kennedy was a guest on WEEI’s OMF yesterday afternoon to discuss the results of the investigation and what the future holds. Since Cora was found not guilty of any wrongdoing while in Boston the door feels open for a return, and Kennedy was asked about that very scenario.

“We’ll talk about that down the road,” Kennedy said. “We just removed Ron Roenicke’s interim tag and he’s going to lead our club going forward. I think a lot of Alex’s future depends on how he approaches this suspension period.”

I fully agree with Kennedy that Cora needs to handle his re-entry into baseball perfectly. Being implicated in two cheating scandals in back to back years isn’t a good look, even if he was innocent in one of them. Cora was still in the report and to plenty of fans, he’ll have an asterisk next to his name.

There have been some whispers that AC’s next managerial job could be with his native Puerto Rico in the WBC. This would be a great chance for Alex to not only shake off the cobb webs but also prove that he doesn’t need any shenanigans to win. If he can show to the baseball world as well as the Red Sox that everything is on the up and up, then I see a return to Boston in his future.

Kennedy didn’t hold back with his feelings towards Cora and shared both admiration and some tough love for the former manager. Rightfully so, not only did this investigation put a storm cloud over AC, but it down poured on the organization and anyone tied to it. Whether you are a player, employee, or fan, we’ve all had to deal with this thing in some matter this winter.

“I believe that Alex Cora is a great baseball manager,” Kennedy said. “He achieved something incredible with the 2018 Boston Red Sox. He was great with us as a player. He has been a great member of our organization. That said, his conduct in Houston was completely and totally unacceptable.”

For now, it’s very clear that the team is focused on Roenicke taking over the reins for 2020. One thing that fans do need to keep in mind is that Roenicke is only under contract for this season. Once the calendar flips to 2021 he would have fulfilled the life of his deal and can see what options are in front of him. The Red Sox and the veteran manager could always come to terms on an extension before then but only time will tell.

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Kennedy didn’t hold back any words in the fact that the organization wants Alex to go through somewhat of a rehabilitation. Not in the more common sense of the word like for some type of addiction. But more so in the way that he needs to fix his image within the baseball world as well as prove that he doesn’t need to use underhanded tactics to be successful.

“To his credit, he apologized again yesterday for his behavior and conduct in Houston,” Kennedy said. “I think that’s a great first step in the right direction for Alex Cora as he heads down the path of rehabilitation for what occurred in 2017.”

I don’t think it’ll be too hard for the former skipper to do just that as he’s more than beloved by his players and bosses. That was made pretty evident after his release from the organization as it seemed like Principal Owner John Henry didn’t want to let him go. During the offseason and into spring training many players spoke out about missing Cora and how much he was a factor for them.

I just don’t see how he isn’t back with the Red Sox in the future. Whether it be for the 2021 season or even later, depending on his rebound, it just feels inevitable. Alex Cora won a World Series on the diamond and from the dugout, he’s more than earned his right to a second chance. As the Red Sox navigate the choppy seas of baseball in the coronavirus world, having a familiar face at the helm of the ship may make things a bit smoother.