“It’s just fun. You see him talk to everybody, motivate everybody. Be that little psychologist with these young guys to make them believe in themselves. He is a player manager. He still understands how hard this game is to play.”
Unfortunately for Red Sox fans, there is a possibility that Cora will become a “free agent” after the season as it seems unlikely Boston’s front office would pay his expected asking price. The contract Cora signed in 2021 included option years for 2023 and 2024.
The Chicago Cubs hired former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell in November for a record-setting $40 million over five years. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that several major-league teams would show interest in Cora if he becomes a free agent, leaving him with plenty of options and no incentive to rush to a decision.
Cora, who also won a World Series title in 2017 as the Houston Astros’ bench coach, told reporters early in spring training that he was fine with his contract status and preferred not to discuss it. He wants the focus to be on his blossoming young Red Sox team
“I’m very comfortable where I’m at right now,” Cora said on Thursday night. “To manage them has been fun, it’s refreshing. It’s good to see good athletes out there making plays and moving around and adjusting to everything we’ve thrown at them. It’s like, ‘wow, this is fun to watch, it is fun to manage.’ ”
That being said, it makes sense for Cora, 48, to wait until the end of the season to weigh his options. Does he have the energy to manage a rebuilding team with an ownership that has shown little willingness to spend money on franchise-changing free agents?
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