BOSTON — It’s unknown whatever behind-the-scenes discussions occurred between the Red Sox and manager Alex Cora before both sides agreed on a three-year extension. However, it’s known that the 48-year-old is hungry for another World Series title.
“We have good players at the big-league level, we have good players in the minor leagues, and there’s a commitment from top to bottom to keep pushing to get that trophy back to Boston,” Cora said before Friday night’s Red Sox-Yankees clash at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox are three years removed from their last postseason appearance in 2021 when the team fell two wins shy of advancing to the World Series. The core was significantly different at the time, and in fact, the only current remaining starter from that season’s roster is Rafael Devers. Boston has elected to leave it up to the young up-and-coming core to restore the franchise’s winning ways, which isn’t an easy process. For the past two seasons, the Red Sox have endured finishing at the bottom of the American League East, prompting a proactive response to part ways with a handful of players and others within the organization. Yet Cora, who’s been around for the highs of the 2018 championship and the lows of missing playoff contention three times, feels content about where the team is heading moving forward.
Boston obviously has its fair share of prospects on the rise such as Marcelo Mayer, Kyle Teel and Roman Anthony. But their big league youth movement, in which All-Stars Jarren Duran and Tanner Houck along with potential Rookie of the Year candidate Ceddanne Rafaela have made their respective leaps, is the Red Sox storyline this season. Boston’s allowed its youngsters to grow, while simultaneously, playing a meaningful season of baseball that’s kept the Red Sox within reach of a postseason spot heading into the upcoming MLB trade deadline.
“(Craig Breslow’s) been very vocal about what he wants to do,” Cora said. “I think that plan here is not only to be better in the future, but to improve our big league club, which is the most important club in the organization. They’re working hard, things are starting to move around. There were a few trades (made already) and I know they’re working hard and trying to see how to improve the organization, and hopefully we can.”
Cora added: “Now we gotta turn the page and we gotta be ready for what we need to do. We’re coming from a week that was very tough for us on the road, and we’re gonna be here this weekend, and we know where we’re at and hopefully, we can play good baseball.”
