Red Sox, Alex Cora sign 3-year extension, becomes 2nd-highest paid manager in baseball
It seemed like a long shot that Red Sox manager Alex Cora would return to the organization at the end of the season. In a surprise move, Cora will be sticking around in Boston, signing a three-year contract extension that’ll span from 2025 to 2027, according to a team announcement.
The deal is worth $21.75 million, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney, giving Craig an average annual value of $7.25 million. Cora will become the second-highest-paid manager in baseball behind the Cubs’ Craig Counsell, who is earning $8 million in the first year of a five-year, $40 million deal he signed last winter.
When his new deal begins in 2025, he will receive a raise of $4.5 million from the $2.75 million he’ll earn in 2024.
Many in the baseball industry believed that Cora would leave the Red Sox at the end of the season and test the free agent market, similar to Counsell. The possibility of the Phillies, Yankees, and even the Dodgers having jobs available depending on their team’s performance gave Cora a chance to manage for a contender immediately.
As Cora entered the season as a lame duck manager, he told reporters that he was not willing to discuss a contract during the season. Instead, Cora and the team quietly agreed to a deal to keep him in Boston.
“Today is about the Cora-Feliciano family,” said Cora. “We love Boston and are very comfortable here. The Red Sox gave us a chance back in 2017 and doubled down on us prior to the 2021 season, and I’m happy to say our future is here as well. I’d like to thank John Henry, Tom Werner, Mike Gordon, Sam Kennedy, and Craig Breslow for their confidence in me. I’m excited about not only where we are as an organization but also where we are going.”
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow flew to Denver on Tuesday night to seal the deal with Cora.
“I had a tremendous amount of respect for Alex long before I took this job; that respect has only grown these last several months,” said Breslow. “He is an incredible people connector, something I have enjoyed watching firsthand. He has embraced Boston’s passionate fans, and we share a desire to win as much as they do, both in 2024 and in the future. I’m happy to be able to extend our commitment to Alex, and I look forward to our partnership continuing to grow. I congratulate him, Angelica, and their family.”
Cora has the Red Sox firmly in the playoff race; the team is 54-47 and in third place in the American League East, 6 1/2 games behind the Orioles and just 1 1/2 games behind the Royals for the final AL Wild Card spot.
Cora is fourth in Red Sox history in managerial wins, with a record of 494–417.
