The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are two of the most underperforming teams in the National League this season. Their respective managers, Carlos Mendoza and Rob Thomson, are under intense pressure from fans. The Boston Red Sox are also struggling badly in the American League. But Alex Cora has not received the same level of criticism.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic believes Alex Cora is not under great pressure to lose his job, mainly due to the duration of the contract he signed with the Boston Red Sox. Leading the team to the playoffs last year also strengthened his position. However, Cora may not remain in the role if the Red Sox do not improve and miss out on the postseason.
“Cora is in the second year of a three-year, $21.75 million contract. That alone gives him some security,” Rosenthal said on the Fair Territory podcast. “They gave him that contract because they believe in him. I don’t expect him to be on the same kind of hot seat.
“If they don’t [reach the playoffs], we’ve seen Red Sox ownership before—what do they do? They look for scapegoats,” Rosenthal added. “There is going to be heat there if this team sputters the rest of the way.”
Cora became the Red Sox manager in 2018, with the team claiming the World Series in his first season. He signed a three-year, $21.75 million contract extension in 2024.
Ken Rosenthal Weighs In On Red Sox Playoff Chances
The Boston Red Sox ended a four-year drought to reach the playoffs last season for the first time since 2021. They made several additions to the roster in the winter, but the team is off to a slow start. Ken Rosenthal feels the Red Sox still have a good chance of reaching the postseason.
“They can make the playoffs,” Rosenthal declared. “The American League is not all that strong, as we’ve seen. If they can get their pitching together and find some offense—they may need to add some, it’d seem to me—then the playoffs are not necessarily unrealistic.”
At the moment, the Boston Red Sox languish at the bottom of the AL East standings with a 9-16 record. They are seven games behind the division leaders after getting swept at home by the New York Yankees this week.
