Despite sitting five games behind the Twins for the final American League Wild Card spot after losing 8-3 in Tampa Bay on Tuesday night, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was able to spin things positive during his Wednesday interview with the WEEI Afternoon Show by looking at the future of this franchise.
Even as the team flirts with the possibility of a third consecutive last place finish in the AL East (75-76 record overall), Cora likes the direction his franchise is headed in.
“We have the foundation now,” said Cora. “We were a little bit short there for a while. Obviously winning [the World Series] in ’18, making it to the playoffs in ’21 is always cool, right? But I think we’re in a better spot now than where we were about 12 months ago.”
Cora said that his positivity around the position the team is in right now stems from the group of young talent at the major league level that has taken a leap this season, along with the highly-touted group of players spread throughout AA and AAA for the organization.
Cora said, “The talent that we have, the talent that we developed in the minor leagues, and also here - I mean, for the up-and-downs of the season, there’s a lot of young guys that are having great seasons here, right?
“[Wilyer Abreu], [David Hamilton] was great, [Ceddanne] Rafaela posted and played center and second and shortstop. [Connor] Wong stepped up and he’s having a good solid season. So from my end, very excited to what the future holds. Like I told you guys a while ago, there’s a reason I wanted to stay here. And I do believe we are a lot closer than what people.”
Cora had been managing the 2024 Red Sox for most of the season as a “lame duck manager,” with his contract set to expire at the end of this year. That all changed in late July, as Cora signed a three-year contract extension worth $21.75 million, taking him through the end of the 2027 season.
When asked if that long term commitment meant he would be a larger part of shaping the Red Sox organization with chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, Cora said that he and Breslow have been talking “for a while” about both the present and the future.
“We’ll meet, probably after the season, spend a few days in Boston, and go over everything,” said Cora. “It goes from what we’re doing in Boston, what we’re doing in player development, what we can do in the future, and be better at this.
“Honestly, from my end, very disappointed. It’s been three years in a row that we played good until one point, and then after that we struggled, you know? We haven’t finished seasons. And, you know, at this level, you have to finish seasons. You have to, and we haven’t done that.”
Cora said the main factors contributing to the team’s 22-33 record since the All-Star break all started in their first second-half series - a three-game sweep by the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.
“We stopped pitching,” said Cora. “The offense was clicking, and then after that, I think the rotation turned a corner. They started doing an outstanding job, giving us a chance to win almost every night. But eventually we disappeared.
“I think the defense has been inconsistent. It’s been inconsistent the last three years, and that’s something, as you guys know, that has to be better. It bothers me, right? Because that was the type of player I was, you know? I didn’t play 13 years in the big leagues because I hit, you know? I did the little things.”
In addition to inconsistent defense, Cora made a point to highlight the inconsistent bullpen.
“I think the bullpen, you know - it’s been inconsistent throughout the last two and a half months,” said Cora. “When that happens, you know, you’re going to slump. And there’s two things that I truly believe makes a solid team at the big league level, right? You gotta play defense and you gotta pitch, and on-and-off this year we’ve been very inconsistent.”
The Red Sox continue their three-game series with the Rays (74-77) on Wednesday night. After closing that series out on Thursday, they’ll head back to Boston for a pivotal, make-or-break three-game homestand against the Twins (80-71).