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‘He’s a good player. He’s a better teammate.’: What Alex Cora said of Red Sox signing Alex Bregman
Cora wouldn't commit to playing Bregman primarily at second base yet and shared where he would hit in the lineup.
Even Alex Cora was among those who were seemingly surprised by the Red Sox’ addition of Alex Bregman.
As Cora vouched for Bregman earlier in the offseason, there had been rumors that the Red Sox were unlikely to add the two-time All-Star prior to his agreement late Wednesday. Cora also sensed that was the case, saying that it played a reason why he opted to arrive at Fort Myers for spring training earlier than usual.
“With everything that was going on you’re kinda like, ‘Eh, it’s not going to happen. It’s not going to happen,’ to be honest with you,” Cora shared Saturday. “At one point, you have to kind of like pivot as a manager, too. Like, ‘OK, we gotta go.'”
So, when Cora went to bed on Wednesday, he wasn’t expecting to be bombarded with messages that he was about to reunite with Bregman in the middle of his sleep.
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“The whole thing changed Wednesday. … Like around 10:20, Camila texts me, ‘Let’s [freaking] go.’ I’m like, ‘I hope this text is for me,'” Cora said, referring to his daughter. “Then, I looked at the phone, and I have like, 10 missed calls. Very important people in the organization were trying to reach out to me. Then, [Bregman] called me, like, two minutes later and he told me. The night got long.”
In just a moment of shuteye, Cora’s team changed in a major way. Now, the Red Sox have the right-handed hitter with pop that the top of their lineup sorely lacked. The signing of Bregman will, in theory, improve the Red Sox’ defense as he won his first Gold Glove last season and has been regarded as one of the best fielding third basemen in the league since his call-up in 2016.
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Cora was quick to say that Bregman will hit in the top third of the lineup. However, as initial reports said that Bregman would play second base, Cora didn’t say where he’ll play in the field just yet.
“We’ll talk about that later on,” Cora said when asked if Bregman will play second base. “Right now, there’s a lot of stuff going on, as far as where we’re going to be roster-wise, and we’ll make that decision when we have to make it.”
Cora added that Bregman will get reps at second and third base during spring training while sprinkling in some reps at shortstop as well. But the Red Sox manager emphasized that it was “too far ahead” for him to commit to anything, including a scenario where Bregman exclusively plays one position this season.
If Cora opts to play Bregman at second base, though, he’s not concerned about the fit. While Bregman’s only played at second base for 32 innings over his career, Cora cited his “quick hands” and “good footwork” as reasons he thinks he can be a strong fielder at the position.
“He’s a Gold Glove third baseman. He hasn’t played second base in the big leagues. I believe he can be a Gold Glove second baseman, too,” Cora said. “There’s other stuff that comes into play as far as like roster construction, what’s better for the team, what can be the best lineup, and competition comes into play.
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“He’ll play in Texas [for Opening Day], I guarantee you that. He’ll be in the lineup. Where? We’ll talk about it later.”
Of course, there are many factors that Cora has to weigh with Bregman now part of the equation. Second base is the most seamless fit for him in terms of the lineup. In terms of maximizing fielding, playing Bregman at third and moving Rafael Devers to designated hitter would seem to be the best move.
“Decisions got tougher. And that’s good to have,” Cora said.
In terms of Bregman’s fit in the lineup, Cora already has a strong vision of how much of a difference-maker he could be alongside Devers and Jarren Duran.
“They’re going to be very good, electric,” Cora said. “That at-bat is different. It’s kind of like J.D. [Martinez] when he came here in ’18 or [Justin] Turner a few years ago. He’s just a different at-bat. He should be hitting at the top of the lineup.”
As Cora spoke about all of the possible fits for Bregman on the field and in the lineup, he seemed to be most excited about the presence he’ll bring into the locker room.
“He’s a good player. He’s a better teammate,” Cora said. “He’s going to help a lot of people in this organization. He’s a guy that we know the track record. All he knows is October and he’s been successful playing in October. He’s going to make people better and he’s going to challenge people with his baseball IQ. He’s going to ask questions about pitching, defense, offense, baserunning. It’s refreshing to have a guy like that in the clubhouse.”
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Cora got to see what kind of a person Bregman can be behind the scenes when the two were together in 2017. Cora worked as the Astros’ bench coach that season, working alongside Bregman in his first full season in the majors.
Even though Bregman was only 23, Cora noted that he “had a voice on that team,” which would go on to win the World Series that year. Cora added that Bregman is also “ahead of the game” in terms of communication, sharing that he’s already begun establishing himself as a leader for the Red Sox.
“We had a great conversation last night, had dinner with him and Trevor [Story] and could’ve been in the restaurant for five hours talking baseball. That’s what it’s all about,” Cora said. “He made a point about staying in Field 3 to see K.C. (Kristian Campbell), Marcelo [Mayer], and [Nick Sogard] take grounders. He already had pointers about Campbell and I’m like, ‘Take it easy, kid.’
“But he’s into it. He wants to win. That’s all he knows. Since ’17, he’s been in the playoffs the whole time. He has two World Series wins. I’m very happy that we have him.”
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