Could Alex Cora replace Chaim Bloom atop Red Sox?
BOSTON -- The Red Sox need a new leader atop the franchise after firing chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom on Thursday. Could Bloom's replacement be currently manning the Boston bench?
There has been an intriguing rumor this season that manager Alex Cora could be the next man for the job, and ESPN's Buster Olney stoked those flames Thursday afternoon.
"It'll be interesting to see if Alex Cora emerges as one of the candidates to run Boston's baseball operations," Olney tweeted Thursday. "He has a broad range of experience, and others in the organization felt he increased his presence in the player development this year."
Cora has done his best to keep the Red Sox afloat this season, and is one of the main reasons the team is at .500 and not sitting in a much worse spot. His current contract with Boston runs through next season.
Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy said Thursday that he expects Cora to manage next season, so it's hard to imagine Cora could fill a role on the bench and in the front office -- and do so successfully.
Cora didn't say much Thursday when asked if he has been informed of his future with the team after this season.
"I'll finish the season and spend some time here," Cora said. "I'll go home and get ready for next year."
As for running a team from the front office, Cora said that could maybe happen, but likely not next season.
"That's something that's for the future. My goal here is to keep playing good baseball and help these guys to get better," said Cora. "Everybody knows how I feel about this game and whatever decision we make in the future is based on my family and all that stuff. I think, right now, this is something that we have to talk about as a group, what we want to do."
Cora seemingly dismissed the rumors, but we'll see if it's something the Boston brass is at least willing to consider when the team begins to interview candidates for Bloom's old position.
