Alex Cora, Red Sox finalize three-year extension
BOSTON -- Alex Cora is a lame duck manager no more. Cora and the Boston Red Sox have agreed on a three-year contract extension through the 2027 season.
Cora was in the final year of his contract and had said that he did not want to negotiate an extension during the season. He was expected to be one of the most sought-after managers on the market this winter, and the Red Sox would have been in jeopardy of losing him.
But Cora must have had a change of heart -- or the Red Sox sweetened their offer.
"We love Boston and are very comfortable here," Cora said after the contract extension was announced. "The Red Sox gave us a chance back in 2017 and doubled down on us prior to the 2021 season, and I'm happy to say our future is here as well."
Jon Heyman of the New York Post was the first to report the extension Wednesday that will pay Cora roughly $7 million per season. ESPN's Jeff Passan and Buster Olney first reported that there was "momentum" toward and extension between Cora and the Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon.
Cora is one of the best managers in baseball and currently has the Red Sox at 54-47 after a loss to the Rockies on Wednesday afternoon. Boston sits one and a half games back of the Kansas City Royals for the final Wild Card spot in the American League.
Sitting in the thick of the AL playoff race is a surprising spot for a Boston team that didn't have much buzz entering the season. But Cora has been able to guide the squad through a litany of injuries, especially in the rotation, and has the Red Sox in playoff contention. Boston went 31-18 from May 19 to the All-Star break, which was the best record in baseball over that span.
Cora is in his sixth season as manager of the Red Sox and owns a career record of 494-416 in his managerial career. He led the team to a historic 108-win regular season and a World Series title in his first season on the job in 2018, but the team has finished in last place in the AL East the last two years.