It's obvious Alex Cora is setting himself up for a Craig Counsell contract

Alex Cora has managed the 2024 Boston Red Sox to 11 games over .500 at the All-Star break. Their recent tear has increased calls from fans to extend the skipper.

But since the beginning of the season, Cora has been vague about his hopes for the future. MLB experts have suggested that the Red Sox front office should throw a blank check at Cora soon to keep him in Boston, but the manager has given no indication that he hopes to come back next year.

The closest Cora has come to saying he hopes to stay in Boston was that his house in Newton is "still there," and not up for sale. He's never even confirmed that he hopes to manage next season — "there's always ESPN," he said.

Cora's indecision could be a front. He may want to continue to manage, and maybe come back to the Red Sox, but the team has defied expectations so thoroughly that many of the possibilities from the beginning of the year no longer seem realistic.

If the Red Sox performed poorly this season, there's a good chance Cora would've been used as a scapegoat by ownership. But players and management only have positive things to say about the skipper, and after Boston's performance so far, it doesn't seem like Cora will be driven out of the city with pitchforks and torches.

Cora has shown nothing but belief in this version of the Red Sox all season. Craig Breslow recently all but confirmed the Sox will be buyers at the deadline, which plays in Cora's favor. If Boston makes a deep playoff run, Cora could get all the credit — and he likely would, based on ownership's recent decisions — and all the attention from clubs that need a skipper in the offseason.

Alex Cora is setting himself up perfectly for managerial free agency when is Red Sox contract expires

It's widely suspected among reporters that Cora is setting himself up for a Craig Counsell-type contract. Counsell let his deal with the Milwaukee Brewers expire in Nov. 2023 and underwent a "managerial free agency," of sorts. He came out on the other side with a five-year, $40 million contract from the Cubs.

Cora is going to be popular among clubs seeking a managerial change. He played baseball himself, he's on the younger side, and is bilingual which seems key to his success with the Red Sox. His relationship with Rafael Devers has transformed him into a leader and a "face of the franchise" type of player.

The Red Sox's manager is primed for a huge payday when his current contract ends, and it seems like he and Boston's front office plan to let it expire. If the Red Sox hope to sign Cora back, he'll be expensive — likely around Counsell's price. Ownership hasn't been keen to spend in recent seasons, and Cora could become the next casualty of the business plan.

Cora hasn't been open to talking about his future in baseball, but he knows he'll get paid whether he does or not.

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