Dan Shaughnessy reacts to the Red Sox and Alex Cora agreeing to a 3-year extension and explains why it may be a sign that team ownership is shifting course and is looking to win this season.
This won't be Alex Cora's last season in Boston after all.
The Red Sox announced Wednesday they signed their manager to a three-year contract extension that spans the 2025-27 seasons. ESPN's Buster Olney reported earlier in the day that the deal being discussed was in the range of three years, $21.75 million. That would be the second-richest contract for an MLB manager behind only the Chicago Cubs' Craig Counsell.
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Cora's departure felt like a foregone conclusion heading into the 2024 campaign. With the Red Sox coming off two consecutive last-place seasons, the common belief was that the 2018 World Series champion skipper would leave for a contender once his contract expired.
Instead, Boston has exceeded expectations and seemingly given Cora a reason to stick around. The club entered Wednesday with a 54-47 record that puts them just 1.5 games back in the American League Wild Card race.
Cora agreeing to a contract extension also indicates he and first-year chief baseball officer Craig Breslow are on the same page. That's notable with the July 30 trade deadline looming as Cora has openly expressed his desire for the front office to invest in the current roster.
The Red Sox hired Cora as their manager before the 2018 season after firing John Farrell. The 48-year-old led Boston to a World Series title in his first season and has a 494-416 record through five-and-a-half seasons as manager.
