Alex Cora Recalls Red Sox Pursuit Of Shohei Ohtani Before Series Vs. Angels

Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani has all of baseball talking — including Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

Cora was relentless in his praise for Ohtani on Monday, especially after the freshly turned 27-year-old was selected as the first-ever player to earn All-Star recognition as both a pitcher and position player. Ohtani will do both while also competing in the home run derby next week during the 2021 MLB All-Star festivities in Denver.

Ohtani’s recent success also has Cora revisiting Boston’s pursuit of him before he signed with the Angels ahead of the 2018 campaign. Cora, of course, was named the Red Sox manager prior to that season, as well.

“I still remember when I got back home from the media, the (introductory) press conference, I went to Miami, I went home and at that moment Allard (Baird), he’s like ‘Be ready to go to LA in 24 hours,'” Cora recited on a video conference before Monday’s game against Ohtani’s Angels. “And I’m like ‘What?!’ And like an hour later he’s like ‘No, we’re out of it.’ I don’t think we were close (to getting Ohtani). I don’t know maybe finalists or whatever, but I don’t think we were close.”

Baird, at the time, was serving as Boston’s senior vice president of player personnel before joining the New York Mets in November after the Red Sox’s World Series title.

And Cora’s recollection, at least according to one previous report, proves true.

The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier published an extensive piece in April 2018 about Boston’s pursuit of Ohtani. In that story Speier indicated that, despite a long and thorough pitch to meet with Ohtani in person, the organization wasn’t granted the opportunity.

Ohtani’s agents at CAA Sports, according to Speier, came away with seven teams Ohtani would meet with and the Red Sox were not among them. The Angels, obviously, landed the generational talent on a two-year, $8.5 million deal and the rest is history.

… Much like the history Ohtani continues to make.