Boston Red Sox Pick Alex Cora As Its New Manager

© 2107 Jordan Long

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The Boston Red Sox has its new manager. The team hired Alex Cora. His contract will be 3 years, running through the 2020 season. The contract also includes a club option for the 2021 season.

Currently, Cora is the Houston Astros Bench Coach and will not start his new job until the 2017 World Series is over. The Red Sox may not have contact with him until that happens.

According to MLB.com, Cora said in a press release, "I am extremely honored and humbled to be named manager of the Boston Red Sox and I want to thank Dave, John Henry, Tom Werner, and Sam Kennedy for giving me such a tremendous opportunity. Returning to the Red Sox and the city of Boston is a dream come true for me and my family and I look forward to working towards the ultimate goal of winning another championship for this city and its great fans."
          
The Red Sox could have hired somebody else who had at least managed at the Major League level. The team had its chance to hire Brad Ausmus or Ron Gardenhire.  But management believed that Cora is the right man for the job.  They’ve known him since he played in Boston from 2006 to 2008.

The Red Sox are taking a big chance with Cora. Cora has never been a manager at the Major League level before.  His only prior management experience was as General Manager of the 2017 World Baseball Classic Puerto Rico team.  That is not managerial field experience.  It gave Cora an understanding of how to assemble a baseball team, but not how to manage it on the field.

The Red Sox will give Cora some time to become comfortable in the dugout and to work the team into a World Series winner.  Hopes are that Cora can take the Sox to a World Series title in the next three years.  Cora cannot be fired if the team loses in the Division Series or misses the playoffs altogether in the next two years.  But, that may not be enough time for Cora to show what he can do.  The Sox ought to allow him all three years to develop into a Major League manager.  Cora might be what is needed to bring yet another World Series title to Boston.