Alex Cora Hired As Red Sox Manager

BOSTON (CBS) --  The Boston Red Sox announced Sunday that they have officially hired Alex Cora as their new manager.

He agreed to a three-year contract, with a club option for the 2021 season.

It's a return to Boston for Cora, 42, who played parts of four seasons with the Red Sox from 2005-08.

"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," Cora said in a release. "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."

Red Sox President Dave Dombrowski made the announcement official in a release Sunday afternoon, a week after Cora interviewed with the team.

"We were very impressed when we interviewed Alex," Dombrowski said in the release. "He came to us as a highly-regarded candidate, and from speaking with him throughout this process, we found him to be very knowledgeable, driven, and deserving of this opportunity. He is a highly respected and hardworking individual who has experience playing in Boston."

"Alex also has a full appreciation for the use of analytical information in today's game and his ability to communicate and relate to both young players and veterans is a plus. Finally, the fact that he is bilingual is very significant for our club."

Cora is the 22nd former Sox player to later become manager of the team.

He replaces former manager John Farrell, who was fired on October 11.

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