Red Sox sign manager Alex Cora to three-year contract extension

BOSTON — The Red Sox and Alex Cora have agreed to a three-year contract extension that will keep the manager in Boston through the 2027 season, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.

The deal is reportedly for three years, $21.75 million, and following Wednesday’s loss to Colorado Cora confirmed the news, which was initially broken in a series of reports by ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Buster Olney and later by Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

“We’re very happy. What this organization means to us is the world,” Cora said. “They trusted me from day one. I still remember that meeting in the palace in New York with Dave (Dombrowski) and the group, they doubled down on me in ’21 after everything that happened from ’17. And we’ve been talking for a little bit here, talking to Angelica and Camila, and this is home for us.”

Cora said he’s been in talks with the front office for the past few weeks, and his main priority was putting his family in the best position possible.

“I just want to be happy and comfortable,” Cora said. “The boys are seven, Camila is going to graduate from college next year, Angelica loves the city, the support system that we have in the city and from people back home, it’s very easy. We put everything on a scale and we decided this is a great opportunity for us to keep growing as a family, obviously to keep growing as a manager, the baseball part of it I feel very comfortable with where we’re at right now and where we’re going is what I want.

“I’ve been talking to Craig (Breslow) for a little bit here and there were two things I wanted, I wanted to win and I wanted security for my family,” he continued. “And we have accomplished both.”

Cora went on to say his relationship with Breslow has grown since he was hired as Boston’s new chief baseball office this past fall and that he’s confident in the club’s direction on the field. Breslow praised Cora and his leadership in a statement announcing the extension.

“I had a tremendous amount of respect for Alex long before I took this job; that respect has only grown these last several months,” Breslow said. “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’s extension immediately resolves one of the biggest sources of uncertainty the Red Sox faced going forward. Cora’s current deal in Boston was set to expire after this season, and if he had reached free agency Cora would’ve immediately become the most highly sought after managerial candidate of the offseason.

After Craig Counsell reset the market for managers with his five-year, $40 million contract with the Chicago Cubs last winter, the expectation was Cora could command similar money. Given the club’s recent frugality, it wasn’t clear if the Red Sox would be willing to make that kind of commitment.

For his part, Cora had refused to discuss his contract status or his future in Boston publicly. The only major update he’s provided since opening day was that he and the team had tabled any discussions and didn’t plan to hold any negotiations until after the season.

“We’re not talking about contracts during the season,” Cora said on May 31. “We’ll play it out and whatever is decided is decided.”

Cora has reiterated that stance on a number of occasions, but at some point over the course of the season things changed.

"At the end of the day there are probably a lot of places that are going to open up at the end of the season, and some of them may be very inconvenient for the family. I promise you this decision was more based on the comfort of my family than actually my professional career," Cora said. "Life has taught me through the years that comfort and taking care of the family is more important and that's one of the reasons we decided to engage and finally we got it done."

Now he and the Red Sox look set to stick together for years to come.

Cora already ranks as one of the most accomplished managers in team history, having won a World Series title in 2018 before climbing to fourth in franchise history with 494 wins. He initially managed two seasons between 2018-19 before he was fired ahead of the 2020 season due to his involvement in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal, but was rehired after his year-long suspension ended and has managed continuously since 2021.

This season the Red Sox have been among the biggest surprises in baseball. Coming off back-to-back 78-84 seasons, the Red Sox have surged back into playoff contention thanks in large part to the development of the club's young core, particularly first-time All-Stars Tanner Houck and Jarren Duran.

The news of Cora's extension was greeted with enthusiasm from his players.

"He's an awesome person, not just as a manager but as a personal friend so I'm so happy and thankful he's going to be here," Duran said.

"He's the leader of this team, he shows up every day for us and he's been tremendous since I've been here and even before," said right-hander Nick Pivetta. "We're really lucky to have such a great manager like that and it's awesome for him to be able to feel comfortable moving through the next couple of years."

Beyond providing a massive boost to the organization, Cora's extension could also be the first of several developments for the club, which is expected to pursue external reinforcements ahead of next week's trade deadline. The club has long spoken about building towards sustained success, and this deal ensures Cora will remain the one leading the club into the future as it seeks to turn that long-term vision into a reality.