Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has seen the highs and lows since coming to the franchise in 2018. And he seems genuinely excited about the direction the Red Sox are headed.

The 2025 season was a step forward for the Red Sox, but also fell short of where Cora hopes to go. Boston won 89 games and made the playoffs for the first time since 2018, but also lost to the New York Yankees in the playoffs for the first time since the Aaron Boone game 22 years ago.

There’s a ton of work for the Red Sox to do in the offseason to build a better roster, and plenty of internal improvements that Cora and his staff will need to oversee as well. But the high hopes for the future are palpable among a fan base that endured some mediocrity it wasn’t used to in recent years.

Apr 13, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) smiles in the dugout during the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-Imagn Images / Raj Mehta-Imagn Images

On Thursday, Cora took to MLB Network and told the hosts of “Hot Stove” that he thinks the Red Sox are on the path to building “something special,” i.e. another championship-caliber operation like the one he oversaw in his first season in Boston.

“As an organization we took a step forward, but we got work to do,” Cora said. “You saw who was in the World Series from our division. We know who beat us in the playoffs. We still are short compared to other teams, but we are trending in the right direction.

“When I got home after the series and sat down, I was disappointed that we lost to the Yankees, but overall, you look at the whole season, and you feel like, okay. we’re frustrated, but at the same time, we accomplished a lot of things, and I think this is just the beginning of something great that is going to happen in Boston.”

Though he didn’t name him during his long-winded answer, Cora’s allusion to Roman Anthony’s injury in September was also obvious, as part of his disappointment and frustration had to do with the Red Sox entering the playoffs without their best roster. Lucas Giolito getting hurt right at the end of the regular season also didn’t help.

Cora’s genuine excitement about this team is a good sign, because you can tell when a manager is going through the motions. But a lot needs to happen between now and opening day to put this team in the best position to win.

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