All the speculation finally is over and we now know for sure that Alex Cora will be back with the Boston Red Sox when the 2021 Major League Baseball season begins.
Cora and the team agreed to a two-year deal with a two-year team option Friday night.
Cora led the Red Sox to a 2018 World Series title after a historic 108-win season. They missed the playoffs in 2019.
After the news became official, president and CEO Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom released a statement expressing their excitement for the manager's return.
"Alex Cora is an outstanding manager, and the right person to lead our club into 2021 and beyond," Bloom said, via the team. "The way he leads, inspires, and connects with everyone around him is almost unmatched, and he has incredible baseball acumen and feel for the game. We considered a very impressive slate of candidates – the brightest managerial prospects in the game today. Because of all that had happened, I knew that I wanted to speak with Alex once his suspension ended, but I didn’t yet know if it made sense to consider him for the job as well. Our conversations were lengthy, intense, and emotional. Alex knows that what he did was wrong, and he regrets it. My belief is that every candidate should be considered in full: strengths and weaknesses, accomplishments and failures. That is what I did with Alex in making this choice. He loves the Red Sox and the game of baseball, and because of that we believe he will make good on this second chance. I join our whole organization in welcoming Alex back to Boston and Fenway Park."
Kennedy echoed those sentiments.
"We are excited to have Alex’s leadership and energy back in the Red Sox dugout," he said. "Our ownership group and leadership team appreciate the thorough search conducted by Chaim and the entire Baseball Operations department that led to this decision. Alex brings to this position a record of success at the highest level, an embrace of the intensity of the Boston market, a connection with our core group of players, and an appreciation for the culture and individuals within our organization. During his Red Sox career as a player and manager, Alex continually made us better. He owns, and has learned from, his past mistakes, and with his incredible talent, he will build on the deep bonds he’s fostered over time to make us better in the years to come."
A press conference to introduce Cora will take place next week. The exact day and time still is to be determined.
