Boston could take a massive hit this winter
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) makes a pitching change during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park
Could the New York Yankees poach arguably the best manager in Major League Baseball from the Boston Red Sox?
Boston has some exciting developments with their young core on the rise and a bevy of elite prospects right behind them. The Red Sox are 51-41 with key piece Triston Casas set to return in the second half and will buy at the July 30 trade deadline.
While everything is trending in the right direction, there is one move that could set the organization back rapidly -- the loss of manager Alex Cora, who is in the final year of his contract and has been tight-lipped on his plans for next season and beyond. That does not bode well for Boston. There's a good chance Cora enters the offseason aiming to beat Craig Counsell's historic five-year, $40 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.
If that's the case, he'll go to the highest bidder -- which could be the Red Sox's rival New York Yankees should the Evil Empire continue to falter after a fantastic start.
"This has got to be the nightmare scenario right? I mean you're looking at Alex Cora putting himself in contention for manager of the year with the Red Sox, he has his team vastly overachieving," NBC Sports Boston's John Tomase said on air Wednesday.
"You go to New York, for the third year in a row they are falling apart after a hot start. This is reaching epic proportions. They have the worst record in baseball over the last 22 games, they are 5-21 in 26 games now. Aaron Boone has been on the hot seat it feels like for the last three years and suddenly you have a scenario where it's like: They went big on Juan Soto. If that doesn't work out after Gerrit Cole comes back, they are going to be looking for a new manager and low and behold, Alex Cora could be sitting there for the richest team in professional sports. I know the Yankees don't spend like they used to but manager money is not ace money."
Boston contending this year has to have Cora excited about the future but it also raises his price tag. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow reportedly has a set allocation of funds to baseball operations and seemingly thinks managers are interchangeable to some degree.
While that may be true of the middle of the pack -- Cora is special. I don't understand how he could watch these games, be in the clubhouse and not see that.
An extension at this juncture would be nearly impossible so Cora likely will test free agency -- a rare occurrence at his position. Should that happen, there's a good chance a big market such as the Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers or possibly the Philadelphia Phillies make a splash -- as the Cubs did a year ago.
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