Alex Cora did his part to make sure the Red Sox embarked on the 2024 Major League Baseball season in the right frame of mind.

Before Boston’s first full-squad spring training workout in Fort Myers, Fla., Cora met with players and set the tone for the upcoming campaign. The Red Sox manager stressed the importance of players finding their identity and Boston, as a collective organization, not losing sight of the fact that it’s among the preeminent franchises in baseball.

The message was well received by team president and CEO Sam Kennedy.

“It was a great message from Alex Cora, who reminded everybody how special the opportunity is to be in big league camp, No. 1, but also to be the best version of the Red Sox, a reminder of what this organization has been about and what we want to be about, which is playing competitive baseball into October,” Kennedy told reporters Monday, per MLB.com. “And just trying to focus on what you can do to control the outcomes versus what others are saying. It was a really strong, powerful message, I think.”

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If the Red Sox are going to play into October this year, it’s going to require everyone on the club to buy in from start to finish. Cora’s message at the outset of spring training should help with that effort.

Featured image via Kyle Schwab/USA TODAY Sports Images