Alex Cora to Return as Red Sox Manager [UPDATE]

The Boston Red Sox officially rehired Alex Cora as their manager on Friday, November 6th.

Cora and the Red Sox parted ways back on January 14, 2020 and was subsequently suspended for the 2020 season over the Houston Astros cheating scandal and his role in it during the 2017 season. Cora led the Red Sox to the World Series Championship in his 1st year as manager in 2018 when they won 108 games in the regular season.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to manage once again and return to the game I have loved my entire life,” said Alex Cora. “This past year, I have had time to reflect and evaluate many things, and I recognize how fortunate I am to lead this team once again.  Not being a part of the game of baseball, and the pain of bringing negative attention to my family and this organization was extremely difficult. I am sorry for the harm my past actions have caused and will work hard to make this organization and its fans proud. I owe John Henry, Tom Werner, Mike Gordon, Sam Kennedy, Chaim Bloom and Brian O’Halloran my gratitude for giving me another chance. I am eager to get back to work with our front office, coaches, and especially our players. Boston is where I have always wanted to be and I could not be more excited to help the Red Sox achieve our ultimate goal of winning in October.”

“Alex Cora is an outstanding manager, and the right person to lead our club into 2021 and beyond,” said Chaim Bloom. “The way he leads, inspires, and connects with everyone around him is almost unmatched, and he has incredible baseball acumen and feel for the game. We considered a very impressive slate of candidates – the brightest managerial prospects in the game today. Because of all that had happened, I knew that I wanted to speak with Alex once his suspension ended, but I didn’t yet know if it made sense to consider him for the job as well. Our conversations were lengthy, intense, and emotional. Alex knows that what he did was wrong, and he regrets it. My belief is that every candidate should be considered in full: strengths and weaknesses, accomplishments and failures. That is what I did with Alex in making this choice. He loves the Red Sox and the game of baseball, and because of that we believe he will make good on this second chance. I join our whole organization in welcoming Alex back to Boston and Fenway Park.”

“We are excited to have Alex’s leadership and energy back in the Red Sox dugout,” said Red Sox President & CEO Sam Kennedy. “Our ownership group and leadership team appreciate the thorough search conducted by Chaim and the entire Baseball Operations department that led to this decision. Alex brings to this position a record of success at the highest level, an embrace of the intensity of the Boston market, a connection with our core group of players, and an appreciation for the culture and individuals within our organization. During his Red Sox career as a player and manager, Alex continually made us better. He owns, and has learned from, his past mistakes, and with his incredible talent, he will build on the deep bonds he’s fostered over time to make us better in the years to come.”