Alex Cora Received This Surprise Before Finalizing Extension

Boston was trounced in its series finale against Colorado, but Wednesday still was an exciting day for the Red Sox organization.

The storied franchise finalized a contract extension for manager Alex Cora after the matinee matchup at Coors Field. Cora reportedly tacked on three years to his deal and will become one of the highest-paid skippers in baseball once the extension kicks in.

Craig Breslow wanted to be on hand when pen was put to paper, and unbeknownst to Cora, the Red Sox chief baseball flew to Denver on Tuesday so he could be a part of the momentous occasion. Breslow surprised Cora in the Boston clubhouse before Wednesday’s game, and the latter dubbed the former “the closer” for his role in making the extension official, per The Boston Globe.

The reception Breslow received when he greeted Red Sox players further validated the front office’s long-term decision to invest in Cora.

“How do you know that this was the right decision? When I walked into the clubhouse, I got a round of applause, which means obviously those players care about him,” Breslow told reporters. “They know how special he is. I think the city of Boston knows how special he is. We’re really excited about what we can do together.”

With Cora taken care of, the Red Sox can shift their focus to trying to reach the playoffs. Breslow and his team will try to help that cause by adding players before the trade deadline, while Cora and his players will look to stack wins starting Friday night against the New York Yankees.