Red Sox Insider Details 'Nightmare Scenario' Of How Yankees Can Poach Alex Cora

Boston could take a massive hit this winter

Scott Neville | Jul 12, 2024

Jun 24, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) makes a pitching change during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports / Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

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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.

More MLB: Vocal Red Sox Veteran Has Message For Craig Breslow Ahead Of Trade Deadline

Published Jul 12, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu