Red Sox Notebook: Alex Cora on trade deadline, Dalbec over Garrett Cooper, Players react to John Henry’s ‘1-in-30’ comment
The MLB trade deadline is just a little under seven weeks away, and the Red Sox are sitting 33-34, one game under .500 and just two games out of the last Wild Card spot for the playoffs.
Prior to the start of the series with the Phillies at Fenway Park, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was asked whether he was confident the front office would add to the roster at the deadline.
“Nobody in the dugout, as a manager, would say they want the team to sell,” Cora said to reporters. “But I understand where we’re at as an organization, and we’ve just got to keep playing better. We have to play better. Whatever decision is made is going to be the decision that is going to be made, and we’re going to respect it and we’re going to keep going. I think Craig (Breslow) has a pretty good idea who we are and what we can be in the upcoming weeks, but at the end of the day, that scoreboard with the standings is going to dictate what we’re going to do later on.”
Boston has been hovering around .500 all season long, and a big reason why has been the performance of their pitching.
It remains to be seen whether Breslow will buy, sell, or do a little bit of both at the upcoming trade deadline. Based on the Red Sox sitting around .500, he could look to trade expiring contracts while adding to the roster for the rest of this year and the future.
Why did Boston keep Bobby Dalbec over Garrett Cooper?
The Red Sox designated struggling first baseman Garrett Cooper for assignment on Tuesday, clearing a spot on the 26-man roster for Masataka Yoshida.
Prior to the 4-1 loss to the Phillies on Tuesday night, Cora explained why the Red Sox kept the struggling Bobby Dalbec over Cooper.
“Versatility,” Cora said. “We kept Bobby. He can play third. He can play first. He can play the outfield. So that’s why we kept Bobby over Coop.”
Cooper has been abysmal at the plate, going just 12-for-70 (.171 batting average). He had four doubles, five RBI, three walks, and 22 strikeouts in 24 games.
Red Sox players react to John Henry’s comments
Red Sox owner John Henry made some controversial comments in an article for the Financial Times. Henry said he has no intention of selling the Red Sox and addressed recent fan criticism, suggesting Red Sox nation holds unrealistic expectations of the team.
Henry defended the club’s decision to spend heavily on free agency and suggested the Red Sox fan base holds unrealistic expectations.
"Because fans expect championships almost annually," he said, "they easily become frustrated and are not going to buy into what the odds actually are: one in 20 or one in 30."
Cora was asked on WEEI if Henry’s assessment of fans’ expectations was accurate.
"No," Cora responded. "I think every fan base has the right to dream big. Every team has a right to think big, and that's what we're doing. There's a reason that during Zoom calls in the offseason, I told these guys not too many people around us are going to believe what we're going to try to accomplish, but we have to do everything possible to make it happen, and it's to win the World Series.
"I like John. He's been amazing to me. There are certain things that we agree on. There are certain things that we don't agree on. The fact that he wants to win? I know that. I know that for a fact... I understand where he's coming from, but agree to disagree, in a sense. The fan base here, they really care. They care about the Red Sox. That's why they keep talking about the Red Sox all of the time, regardless of the record, and we're going to try to do everything possible to make our dream come true."
Red Sox All-Star closer Kenley Jansen also weighed in on Henry’s comments.
“We’ve got to make ourselves a winner,” said Jansen. “Hopefully, that put a fire under all of these guys in this clubhouse. Be pissed if you want to be pissed about a comment like that, and use it to your advantage to be a winner."
While Cora believes the organization is in a better spot than it was last year, Henry’s comments ruffling the feathers of the fan base, his field manager, and his players seem very on brand for the Red Sox of late.
