Red Sox players support manager Alex Cora in final contract year; What's next for Cora?

FORT MYERS, Fla. — With an expiring contract, coupled with the Boston Red Sox current youth movement, it would be hard to fault manager Alex Cora if he felt stressed out. 

But anyone who’s been around Cora, the World Series-winning manager of the 2018 Red Sox, knows his demeanor rarely changes. 

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“He’s up there, man,” Boston closer Kenley Jansen said after Thursday night’s 3-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles at JetBlue Park. “I’m blessed to play with three really good managers, from Dave Roberts, (Brian Snitker), now A.C.

“It’s just fun. You see him talk to everybody, motivate everybody. Be that little psychologist with these young guys to make them believe in themselves. He is a player manager. He still understands how hard this game is to play.”

Unfortunately for Red Sox fans, there is a possibility that Cora will become a “free agent” after the season as it seems unlikely Boston’s front office would pay his expected asking price. The contract Cora signed in 2021 included option years for 2023 and 2024.

The Chicago Cubs hired former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell in November for a record-setting $40 million over five years. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that several major-league teams would show interest in Cora if he becomes a free agent, leaving him with plenty of options and no incentive to rush to a decision.

Cora, who also won a World Series title in 2017 as the Houston Astros’ bench coach, told reporters early in spring training that he was fine with his contract status and preferred not to discuss it. He wants the focus to be on his blossoming young Red Sox team.

“I’m very comfortable where I’m at right now,” Cora said on Thursday night. “To manage them has been fun, it’s refreshing. It’s good to see good athletes out there making plays and moving around and adjusting to everything we’ve thrown at them. It’s like, ‘wow, this is fun to watch, it is fun to manage.’ ”

That being said, it makes sense for Cora, 48, to wait until the end of the season to weigh his options. Does he have the energy to manage a rebuilding team with an ownership that has shown little willingness to spend money on franchise-changing free agents?

The Red Sox finished last in the American League East the last two seasons. Their only noteworthy free-agent signing this offseason was pitcher Lucas Giolito, who suffered an elbow injury during spring training and could miss the season.

The New York Yankees are the “betting” favorite to win the A.L. East, but the defending-champion Baltimore Orioles will likely have something to say about that. Throw in a dangerous and talented Toronto Blue Jays squad, plus the Tampa Bay Rays, and it’s hard to see Boston making major gains in the division.

As the regular season approaches — the Red Sox begin a 10-game West Coast trip on March 28 at Seattle — Cora’s future with the organization will likely remain murky.

“You never know with contracts,” Boston outfielder Tyler O’Neill said. “You never know what’s going on in someone’s personal life. You never know what’s going to happen. But just from a managerial standpoint, the energy he brings is awesome to see from a player’s perspective.

“Alex has been a great communicator with me from Day 1, introduced himself with open arms. Everything we’ve discussed in Fort Myers has been clear, good communication. It feels like, as a player, he has our back. How he carries himself, brings the mood up. Man, I’d love for him to be my manager for the next 10 years.”

Nobody can predict the future, but either way, Red Sox fans will have at least one more season with their championship skipper.