Boston's 2024 season is finally underway and they kicked things off with a win over the Mariners on Thursday evening.
Before the season's start, former GM and current writer for The Athletic Jim Bowden wrote a story including 24 predictions for the new MLB season (subscription required). One of them included a pretty wild thought for the Boston Red Sox after 2024's conclusion.
Bowden's prediction stated that Red Sox manager Alex Cora will resign at the end of the season. He says the team will finish last in the AL East for the fourth time in just five years, leading to Boston and Cora parting ways.
It's not hard to believe that this is a possibility, either. The Red Sox front office hasn't shown a lot of interest in making sure they put a winning product out there for fans. However, that's not to say the team is without talent. There are a lot of young players featured in this organization.
"I think he wants to see a couple different things. Where he's at personally... I think he also wants to see the direction of the Red Sox"
— NESN (@NESN) March 29, 2024
The Boston Globe's @PeteAbe on Alex Cora's contract situation | #RedSox pic.twitter.com/DBBgkbxjte
Former MLB GM has wild Alex Cora prediction following Red Sox's 2024 season
Bowden continued with his prediction stating that Cora will sit out for a year after resigning "before becoming the highest-paid manager in 2026 when he resumes his career with a contending team."
This is the final year of Cora's deal after the team picked up his club option for 2024. Depending on how the season goes, he could make a decision based on that alone. However, there has to be interest on Boston's side as well.
Earlier this week Cora mentioned in a radio interview that the two sides have not discussed a contract extension.
“No, we haven’t talked about it, and I respect that,” Cora said during an appearance on WEEI’s “Jones & Mego” Wednesday. “From my end, it’s the same thing. We understand where we’re at as an organization, and where I’m at contract-wise.”
If Boston is content with rebuilding slowly over the next couple of seasons, it may not be a great fit for both sides. Cora has a focus on winning and there are many contending teams that would happily welcome his services.
However, Cora remains focused on the present, stating, "I respect the fact that everybody is going to be asking about next year, but let’s take care of this year, have a great season, and let’s see what the future holds.”
That's the right attitude to have because there's a chance this team could surprise a lot of people. Sox fans are hoping for that outcome so the speculation of his departure can die down.