What Sam Kennedy, Craig Breslow, Alex Cora said about Red Sox manager’s contract situation
"That's Craig Breslow's decision."
Alex Cora is in an unusual spot heading into the 2024 season.
The Red Sox manager is entering the final year of his contract, leaving a cloud of uncertainty over his future in Boston as he could become a commodity next offseason. Cora’s also working under a new chief baseball officer, Craig Breslow, who didn’t hire him to become manager of the team – which could further cast some doubt on whether he’ll stay with the Red Sox.
Ultimately, it appears Breslow will get the final call on whether Cora is back with the Red Sox beyond 2024 or not. Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy said it’s the new chief baseball officer’s decision whether or not to bring back Cora.
“Alex Cora is a fan favorite. He’s also an internal favorite of our ownership. He’s a World Series champion,” Kennedy said in an interview with WEEI during the Red Sox’ Winter Weekend on Saturday. “However, the most important thing in leadership and in management is to have a proper chain of command, roles, and responsibilities.
“When we hired Craig Breslow, we sat down with Alex and went through the process and said, ‘Look, we are going to bring in a new leader of baseball operations. That leader of baseball operations is going to be responsible for addressing your situation, your contract – the manager works for the chief baseball officer.'”
Kennedy is encouraged though that Breslow and Cora can have strong working relationship. He said the duo is “off to a great start,” adding that they’re “building a relationship around trust.”
“They had a pre-existing relationship,” Kennedy said, noting the two were once teammates with the Red Sox. “So, I’m very optimistic that the relationship will continue to grow and lead to a place where Alex is around for a long time, assuming he wants to be and assuming that’s what Craig wants. That’s Craig Breslow’s decision. That’s part of our job as ownership and management, is to make sure we have a proper line of authority and chain of command.”
As for what the apparent ultimate decision-maker said of the matter, Breslow didn’t comment or speculate on what Cora’s future might hold in Boston, but he was complimentary of the job he’s done to this point.
“We’re really lucky Alex Cora is the manager of the Boston Red Sox,” Breslow said on WEEI on Saturday. “When you think of the profile of the modern manager, one who’s really successful in this game, Alex really embodies those characteristics and he’s shown he can win on the biggest stage, having won a World Series championship here, not just as a player but also as a manager.
“I would say that we really established a level of trust and accountability with each other, we’ve begun that. I also think it’s really important to understand how each of us intends to operate through a season. There are certain things that you just can’t replicate in December, January, and February that come to light over the course of the season. Alex and I have a great relationship. The relationship is building and we’ll have the conversations between ourselves at the appropriate time.”
Of course, the Red Sox might not get the final say on whether Cora returns to Boston for 2025 because he’ll be a free agent. “Several” teams have already begun to express interest in Cora, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported in December. It’s also possible that Cora could command a rich payday, as the Cubs dished out the largest contract for a manager in MLB history to land Craig Counsell from the Brewers this offseason.
Also speaking to WEEI, Cora said it would be “selfish” on his part to speak about his contract situation over Winter Weekend, sidestepping a question on whether an extension could be done before spring training. But he did signal a desire to remain in Boston.
‘The last few years have hit us right in front, you know? We haven’t done the job,” Cora said. “So my main goal is less Alex, more the Red Sox, more the players, and see what the future holds. I’m in a great place right now. The family has been very supportive.
“I’m going to take it day by day, enjoy the whole experience, and whatever happens in the future happens in the future,” Cora added. “But I’m very happy where I’m at. We still got the house in Newton and there’s no sign that it’s up for sale. I love this place. I love everything that comes with it, the highs and lows. This a very unique place. They gave me a chance in ’17. They gave me a chance again in ’20 after my mistake, and let’s see what the future holds.”
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