Red Sox’s Alex Cora Hinting At ‘Big’ Yankees Offseason Splash?

The Red Sox aren’t the only American League East organization in search of some much-needed roster improvement this offseason. Boston’s all-time rival, the New York Yankees, might be on the verge of something “big.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora revealed a recent conversation with Yankees skipper Aaron Boone, suggesting that Boone’s notable facial expression could be the indicator of something in the works. New York, like Boston, also missed the postseason in 2023, prompting some expected offseason roster work ahead of Opening Day.

“I called Aaron Boone yesterday, FaceTimed him, and he gave me this kinda-like smile, this look,” Cora shared at Major League Baseball’s winter meetings on Tuesday, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive. “He was very happy. So something big might happen over there.”

So far, the market has been relatively quiet, but that doesn’t mean the Yankees aren’t making calls behind the scenes.

New York is among a handful of teams across the league — including the Red Sox — interested in Japanese standout pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. In fact, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman attended Yamamoto’s no-hitter in September.

Was that the premonition for a right-hander the Yankees are willing to open their wallets for?

“We’ve definitely had conversations, we’ve scouted him extensively and we’ll just give this our best efforts,” Cashman told reporters Tuesday, per SNY.

The Yankees notched a payroll of $278 million last season, just to finish 82-80 with an offense that hit .227, only better than the MLB-worst Athletics (.223) — a team that put no effort throughout its penultimate season in Oakland.