Red Sox Core Keeps Alex Cora ‘Comfortable’ For 2024 Season

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Alex Cora hopes to lead the Red Sox to improvement after two straight last-place finishes.

Without a major splash addition of the offseason, Boston enters the season with expectations set on young talent to step up and perform at a high level, most notably with position players. After losing key veterans in free agency, developing youth is a must for the Red Sox.

While the stakes are high, Cora has belief in the youth of his team.

"I'm comfortable with where we're at," Cora told reporters on Friday during Red Sox Winter Weekend at the MassMutual Center. "There's some good at-bats there that we saw last year. They're going to get a chance to go out there, dominate the strike zone, hit the ball hard and run the bases the right way. I think they guys we have are really good at what we do."

Cora added: "We're relying on talent. This game is about predictions, probability and expectations. Not only us. I think it's the business. Like I told you last year, there's some good at-bats with these kids."

Cora awaits a young roster build on energy and athleticism, a sentiment that ownership agrees with in endorsing returning players.

"When you look around our team, look at our infield with Triston Casas," Boston chairman Tom Werner said. "I think we made a great trade with (Vaughn) Grissom. Hopefully, Trevor Story will be healthy and Raffy Devers at third. (Hopefully Jarren) Duran has a healthy year. I'm looking forward to Wilyer Abreu having 400 at-bats. There's a lot to be excited about. We admit our pitching wasn't strong enough last year. I expect improvement. The people on our team, and we have a young core, will be a step closer to being excellent."

Based on offseason activity, the Red Sox will rely on several in-house players to take steps forward in 2024.