Alex Cora Makes Emphatic Statement Amid Red Sox’s Ascension

The Red Sox look to stay hot heading into the MLB All-Star break, and as they do, Alex Cora continues to boast confidence in his team.

Boston won its series opener against the Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park on Tuesday. The New York Yankees continued their slump when they lost to the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. That meant the Red Sox were 3 1/2 games behind the Bronx Bombers for the top spot in the American League wild card.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow hasn't affirmed how the front office will handle the Red Sox's playoff push. Manager Alex Cora hopes the team is "greedy," though he later clarified that wasn't an overt push to make a move before the MLB trade deadline. However, Boston's seventh win in its last eight games gave Cora an ambitious outlook on the postseason.

"We talked about being greedy a few weeks ago, we saw a window, but I think the window is getting bigger. It’s actually a door," Alex Cora told reporters, per The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey. "We can actually accomplish this. We're going to keep looking up there and keep playing good baseball and let’s see where it takes us."

Breslow this week acknowledged how beneficial a playoff appearance can be for a young club. He also highlighted how the franchise is looking at all of its options to ensure success in the short term and long term.

The Red Sox's continued rise up the standings would further open that door to postseason season baseball and could allow Boston to gain pieces to help it on its journey this season.