Did Netflix Play Role In Alex Cora’s Three-Year Extension With Red Sox?

The Boston Red Sox locked manager Alex Cora into a three-year extension, which became official Wednesday and perhaps signaled brighter days to come.

Considering the uncertainty surrounding Cora’s future entering the 2024 season with an expiring contract, the agreement to stick around came as a bit of a surprise. Even though the Red Sox have logged back-to-back last-place finishes, Cora’s kept the team’s young core competitive. Boston competed in the first half of 2023, and is still in a position to fight for a playoff spot in 2024, sparking an intriguing Cora-related theory.

“I think Netflix plays a part here,” Travis Thomas explained on NESN’s “Boston Has Entered The Chat” podcast. “… We’re sitting at home, we’re watching this season play out. A season where everyone, myself included, I’m guilty, came in saying, ‘Well, I’m not expecting much from the Red Sox this season. … They’ve kicked butt and taken names up until this point. To the point where we all believe, at the trade deadline, they’re going to have to be buyers. They’re gonna have to be aggressive.

“… So if you’re watching this play out as a fan, and you’re watching this on Netflix, you’re saying, ‘Man, this team overachieved. Check. They’re gonna have to add at the deadline — we’re assuming they do that. Check.’ So wait, you make the playoffs. Have you seen the American League, anyone? It’s wide open.”

Next Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET MLB trade deadline could determine what to expect for the remainder of the season from the Red Sox. Boston’s fallen to a 1-5 stretch coming out of the All-Star break, however, the American League wild-card and East division are still within reach. Whether it’s adding to the lineup, improving the pitching staff, or sprinkling in some always-handy veteran leadership to the mix, Boston still has a chance to invest in Cora and its chances of doing something special in October.

You can watch the full episode of “Boston Has Entered The Chat” here: