Alex Cora Responds To Potential Paths Of His Red Sox Future

BOSTON -- Alex Cora prepares to enter one of the most interesting offseasons of his tenure as the manager of the Boston Red Sox.

Boston may miss the playoffs for the second straight season after Cora led the Red Sox to at least the American League Championship Series in two of his first three seasons in 2018 and 2021. But the organization also ends the season with personnel decisions to make after the Red Sox parted ways with chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom on Thursday.

Cora expressed Wednesday that he does not see himself managing into his later years and that a transition will come eventually in a decision he will make with his family.

In the immediate, the Boston manager is focused on closing out this season.

"I'll finish the season, stay around here then go home and get ready for next year," Cora told reporters following Boston's win over the New York Yankees in the first game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park on Thursday.

The idea of Cora in the front office for a Major League Baseball club down the road is not a crazy thought, even with Boston. In other teams within the city, former coaches such as Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics moved away from the playing surface and into an operations role. For Cora, that shift does not seem to be in the near future, though.

"That's something that's for the future," Cora explained. "My goal here is to play good baseball and for all of those guys to get better. Everybody knows how I feel about this game. Any decision I make in the future is based on my family. Right now, this is something we have to talk about as a group. We've just got to focus on what we have to do right now."

The Red Sox manager reaffirmed the internal desire to return to championship contention through the collective buy-in of the organization.

"I think everyone in here worries and cares about the Red Sox," Cora said. "We know where we're at. We have a vision. Our vision is to win the World Series. Right now, obviously, we're far away from it this season. We'll see how the process goes and what happens in the offseason. I believe that with what we have and whatever we do in the offseason, we have a chance to improve next year. Hopefully next year, we can play baseball in October."

Cora believes he will be ready to give input regarding the search for Bloom's successor if asked by ownership.

"We'll talk about it," Cora replied. "It's too soon. They'll meet with me and ask me a few questions and go from there. Just like we did in 2019."