The Boston Red Sox and Alex Cora are nearing the end of their contract. At the end of the season, he'll either re-sign with Boston, move on to manage elsewhere, or take a different position in baseball, entirely.
But many Sox fans are afraid of losing Cora as a manager, and recent calls to the front office from experts have exacerbated their nerves. MLB insider Ken Rosenthal said, if he were in Boston's front office, his first move before the trade deadline would be to put a blank check in front of the skipper.
But Cora isn't interested in discussing contract terms in the middle of the season, so Red Sox Nation will be forced to wait and see what happens with their squad's five-year manager. The Yankees may be in a similar position, but not because their manager's contract is expiring.
Aaron Boone has been in hot water after his club's recent performances. New York is 18-21 in June and July and their standing near the top of the American League East is slipping. The Yankees' offense has stalled, their defense has been ugly and their pitching is unreliable.
Many reporters have suggested that New York may fire Boone before the end of the season and attempt to swipe Cora from the Red Sox. NBCSports Boston's John Tomase thinks the risk might wake John Henry up.
"Alex Cora could be sitting there for the richest team in baseball."
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) July 10, 2024
John Tomase weighs in on 'nightmare scenario' where the Red Sox could lose Alex Cora to the Yankees pic.twitter.com/DTjaE4epW8
The Red Sox have lost out on many free agents to other teams that offered better contracts. They've been most frequently embarrassed by the Dodgers, but the Cubs also stuck it to the Sox this offseason. Losing Cora to the Yankees may be the final straw for ownership — we hope.
Boston's front office and ownership are clear fans of Cora's. They brought him back to manage the Sox again after his suspension for his part in the Astros' scandal and, as Tomase says, they exercised the option on Cora's contract to bring him back for the 2023-24 season, even without consulting their new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.
That worked out in the Sox's favor. Breslow and Cora have a quality working relationship and the Red Sox are overperforming. But that doesn't mean ownership will bring him back.
Managers are relatively inexpensive in the world of MLB contracts. The Red Sox could bring Cora back without trouble — Henry and Fenway Sports Group have plenty of money. But the jury is still out on Henry's plan for the Sox's future. He's been miserly in recent seasons, as Boston fans know all too well.
Cora is likely to be one of the most coveted managers when the season ends. He'll be a popular candidate throughout the league and, if the Sox want him back, they'll need to make an impression. If the Yankees become interested in Cora, they're sure to do so. They've been desperate for a deep playoff run for the past few seasons, and no matter where they spend, it hasn't come. A new manager could be the ticket, and Cora has a winning pedigree among players and front office staff.
Tomase seems confident that ownership would not let Cora go to the Yankees, at least, not without a fight. Much of Red Sox Nation wants to believe it, but ownership has done little to earn fans' trust in recent seasons.
Maybe hating the Yankees is the one thing that keeps Boston's front office motivated. We may find out when Cora's contract expires.