Alex Cora On The Hot Seat

By Steve Atkinson 

Red Sox manager Alex Cora could soon find himself on the hot seat. The team is currently under .500, and there seems to be drama in the clubhouse. The question arises: has Cora lost the support of his players? For instance, Rafael Devers refused to play in the field after throwing a tantrum when he was removed from third base to become the designated hitter. Following this, when Tristan Casas went down with an injury, Cora declined to say whether Devers would play first base, likely fearing another outburst.

Alex Cora Was Brought To Boston To Win

When Cora joined the team in 2018, they were loaded and went on to win the World Series. Since then, the organization has cycled through general managers while retaining the same manager. Cora is known as a win-now manager, not one focused on long-term development. It seemed at one point that he would become the Padres’ manager, but the Red Sox extended his contract last year. Despite signing Alex Bregman, the team still struggles to find success.

Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow stated, “We’re always going to be anchored to what is best for the team, and we have a lot of confidence in Alex as the leader of this group. We have conversations daily about everything we can do to get us back on track. That’s our focus, and it will remain so.”

However, this is not a resounding endorsement for Cora, especially considering that Breslow was not the one to grant him the extension; that decision was made by Chaim Bloom, who was fired and replaced by Breslow during the offseason.

Breslow emphasizes analytics, while Cora prioritizes winning, even though he has played the game. The emphasis seems to be on swinging for home runs rather than getting on base. Additionally, the player who is supposed to be the leader is complaining about position changes during spring training.

It appears that Cora has become frustrated, reminiscent of Terry Francona’s last season in September 2011, followed by the fiasco of Bobby Valentine in 2012 before John Farrell led the team to a World Series victory in 2013.

The rumors surrounding Jarren Duran’s trade make little sense, especially considering the team’s need for his bat in the lineup for a Padres prospect, Ethan Salas. While it might make sense for the Padres, who are vying for the division against the Dodgers, for the Red Sox, it’s a poor move. The team needs a culture change and a strong leader in the clubhouse, as they currently lack both.