Red Sox manager Alex Cora is going to stick around for a while

The Red Sox have exercised options on Alex Cora’s contract

Alex Cora’s second stint as manager of the Boston Red Sox is apparently going to last longer than the first one. The team announced on Monday that they are exercising the options on Cora’s contract for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Cora is 284-202 in three seasons as Red Sox manager. He finished fifth on the ballot for the AL Manager of the Year award, receiving one of the 30 first-place votes.

"“I am beyond grateful for this opportunity to manage the Red Sox,” Cora said in a statement, per ESPN. “We experienced so many special moments as a team and as a city in 2021, but we still have unfinished business to take care of. I am excited about the current state of our organization and eager to continue my work with our front office, coaches, players, and everyone who makes this such a special place.”"

Cora was initially hired in Nov. 2017 and led the Red Sox to a 108-54 record and a World Series title in his first season as a manager.

A one-year suspension stemming from his involvement with the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal during his tenure as the team’s bench coach led to Cora mutually parting ways with the Red Sox following the 2019 season.

The Red Sox were lost without Cora, sinking to the bottom of their division in the shortened 2020 season. Not to pin the blame on Ron Roenicke, who made the best of a difficult situation, but it was clear this club needed Cora’s leadership in the dugout.

Boston re-hired Cora last November once his suspension was over and reinserting him into the manager role paid immediate dividends. The Red Sox bounced back with a 92-win season to secure the top Wild Card spot and made a surprising run to the ALCS.

There were many factors that led to this drastic turnaround. Chaim Bloom warrants credit as the architect of this roster for uncovering undervalued gems who played pivotal roles. The pitching staff was healthier. Star players who disappointed when their routines were interrupted by the pandemic recovered to produce at the level we expected. We can’t underestimate the value of Cora though. He has a brilliant baseball mind and an uncanny ability to connect with his players. The Red Sox were always expected to improve upon their dismal 2020 season but the steady presence of Cora is why this team significantly exceeded expectations.

Cora signed a two-year deal that included two club options when he was re-hired. The deadline to pick up those options wasn’t until next fall but the Red Sox wisely moved quickly to lock up the manager through the 2024 season. Cora can now manage this team next season without lingering questions about his future creating a distraction.

By essentially turning his contract into a four-year deal, the Red Sox have the opportunity to keep Cora around for at least three more seasons. That doesn’t necessarily guarantee that he’ll manage this team for that long. It’s common for teams to fire managers with years remaining on their contract – they still have to pay them but they can choose to replace them. That’s unlikely to be a problem for Cora.

After leading this team to championship glory in a historic 2018 season, Cora should have earned himself a lifetime deal. The only reason they briefly parted ways was because the sides agreed it wouldn’t be fair to the manager serving during his suspension to have Cora’s looming return hanging over them. Cora served his one-year ban and was welcomed back with open arms.

The Red Sox have a bright future with a strong roster and a vastly improved farm system. Cora is going to have a role in that future and the vote of confidence the organization showed him by picking up his options early signals that they may have interest in extending their relationship at some point down the line. Either way, Cora isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.