How Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Handled Alex Bregman Questions

Alex Bregman reportedly has agreed to sign with the Red Sox, but the veteran infielder hasn’t yet put pen to paper.

It prompted Boston manager Alex Cora to operate with caution when he met with reporters in Fort Myers, Fla. on Thursday. Cora deflected a handful of questions that either mentioned Bregman by name or alluded to the reported signing.

“Obviously, I can not get into specifics,” Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN. “But the front office is working hard, like I said a few days ago. And the offseason isn’t over so they’ll keep working hard and let’s see what the future brings.”

A slight smirk crept across Cora’s face as he concluded the answer.

“They’re locked in on improving the roster,” Cora responded when asked if he feels more will be done to improve. “That’s the most important thing.”

Cora was asked directly about having worked with Bregman in Houston. The former deflected when asked if he ever thought he would manage Bregman again.

“We get there when we get there, right?” Cora said. “But as a person, it’s a kid that I really respect, I really like. We went through a lot for a while there. And we have a good relationship. You guys will see — you’ve seen it before. You guys have talked to him. He’s very similar to Dustin (Pedroia) as far as the baseball rat that he is. We’ll see what happens in the future.”

Cora added: “Let’s not talk about that right now. I can’t talk about that situation, the front office is still working hard on that. When we’ll get there, we’ll get there.”

Bregman reportedly agreed to a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox. The two-time World Series champion and 2024 Gold Glove winner reportedly had other offers from the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs, along with the offer he previously received from the Astros.