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Insiders give surprising update on Red Sox manager's future
Entering the final year of his contract, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said in mid-February that he wasn't sure what his future was with the organization but admitted that there's "more to life than baseball."
Many fans and analysts alike took Cora's words to mean that his days in Beantown were limited and the team could very well be looking for another manager this offseason.
It was reported on Wednesday that Cora will not only be extending his stay with the Red Sox to 2025, but the 48-year-old had agreed to remain in Boston for multiple seasons after that as well.
ESPN's Jeff Passan and Buster Olney first broke the news and both MLB Network insider Jon Heyman and MLB.com's Ian Browne confirmed that Cora had agreed to the extension.
News: The Boston Red Sox and manager Alex Cora have engaged in recent talks on a contract extension, and there is momentum toward a deal, sources tell me and @Buster_ESPN. After months of silence regarding Cora's lame-duck status, a multiyear contract is a real possibility.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 24, 2024
The deal that the Red Sox and Alex Cora have been discussing, first reported by Jeff Passan, is in th,e range of three years, $21.75m. It would be the second-highest salary for a manager, behind Craig Counsell's 5-year, $40m dea.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 24, 2024
Alex Cora and the Red Sox are in agreement at $7M-plus per year over 3 years. Just finalizing the deal now.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 24, 2024
"Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow joined the club in Denver for the final two games of a six-game road trip, which could be related to negotiations with Cora, but not definitely. At the very least, it added some intrigue to the situation," Browne wrote, adding that the Red Sox hadn't commented on Wednesday's reports.
Cora made his managerial debut with Boston in 2018, leading them to a 108-54 record in the regular season and their fourth championship of the millennium. The group regressed to 84-78 in 2019 before the leader in the dugout was implicated in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal and Cora and the Red Sox mutually agreed to part ways prior to the 2020 season.
He served a one-year suspension in 2020 and then signed a two-year deal with a two-year option to return to the Red Sox in 2021. Boston went 92-70 in the regular season and eventually lost to the Astros in that season's ALCS.
The last two seasons have been rough for Cora's squad, as they've posted back-to-back 78-84 marks to finish last in the AL East. The Red Sox have exceeded expectations thus far in 2024, as they sit at 54-46, good for third place in the division and six games behind the Baltimore Orioles (60-40).
More importantly, Boston is just one game back of the Kansas City Royals (56-46) for the third and final AL wild-card spot.
More must-reads:
- How the Red Sox can capitalize on the Blue Jays' struggles
- Red Sox to promote prospects Franklin Arias, Juan Valera to Low-A Salem
- The '2018 Boston Red Sox World Series roster' quiz
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Brewers To Keep All-Star Despite Wild Trade Rumors
The Milwaukee Brewers have been the subject of plenty of noise ahead of the trade deadline. Milwaukee has been great and has a 61-41 record, but there was chatter about the possibility of cutting ties with some of the big names on the roster until very recently. It hasn't made much sense from the beginning because the Brewers have been good overall this season, but they are a small-market club so there's been plenty of buzz about sending guys to teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers or New York Yankees or other teams like that. Freddy Peralta specifically has been at the middle of the weird noise, but a deal doesn't seem likely. Robert Murray of FanSided is the latest to say a deal is unlikely. "They have baseball’s best record (61-41)," Murray said. "They have veteran Christian Yelich and breakout young stars Jackson Chourio and Jacob Misiorowski. They have Pat Murphy, the midseason favorite to win National League Manager of the Year. And they have Freddy Peralta, who is highly unlikely to be traded this season but has an uncertain future in Milwaukee beyond 2025. "A player such as, say, Eugenio Suarez would be a terrific fit and would further bolster the Brewers’ World Series aspirations. In addition to potentially adding a corner infielder, sources say Milwaukee is open to upgrading the backup catcher position and adding an optionable reliever." Milwaukee is a true World Series contender. At this point, it doesn't make any sense at all to trade away guys who can help this season.
Why as many as 100 NFL players are facing fines and potential suspension
There is not a bigger sporting event in North America than the Super Bowl, and tickets are only getting more expensive every year. There is also a ridiculous secondary market for tickets where seats sell for well above the original face value. It is usually fans or ticket resellers going for a quick profit. But as was reported on Friday, sometimes it can be players in the NFL looking to make a profit. According to multiple reports, including the Associated Press and ESPN, more than 100 players are facing fines and potential suspensions for selling their allotment of tickets to this year's Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs for above face value. Players are reportedly facing fines of one-and-a-half times the face value they originally paid for the tickets, while they are also prevented from purchasing tickets to the Super Bowl for the next seasons. The Associated Press obtained a memo from the NFL detailing the violation and investigation. That memo was as follows: “Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket’s face value in violation of the Policy. This long-standing League Policy, which is specifically incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prohibits League or Club employees, including players, from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket, whichever is less. We are in the process of completing our investigation into this matter, but the investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of ‘bundlers’ who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.” If players are not willing to pay the fine, they could be facing suspension from the league. It seems unlikely that any of the players — none of whom have been named, or their teams — would refuse to pay such a fine. It's also one of those moments where you can say, professional athletes — they're still normal people trying to make a quick buck. The most logical answer here is perhaps some of the players caught up in this are younger players who have not yet struck it rich on a big contract or perhaps even practice squad players who are not making top dollar.
Bengals finally reach agreement with first-rounder Shemar Stewart
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Knicks Primed to Land Former All-Star in Free Agency as Potential Buyout Looms
Who doesn't love playing in a big market like New York, Los Angeles, and some of the other prime destinations that the NBA has to offer? Kevin Love certainly doesn't mind them. In fact, the former All-Star prefers them. Jake Fischer recently offered insight into where the aging big man may end up as his next destination. The NBA insider reaffirmed previous reports that stated Love prefers a big market. Fischer said, "So with Kevin Love, to my understanding, he really only wants to be in the big glamour markets. I do think it would mostly be something along the lines of Kevin Love going to a New York or a Los Angeles type of situation. So, we'll see if that can materialize for him." With the New York Knicks still in the market for a boost to their depth, Love could be a natural connection for the team to explore. The recently-traded big man will await his buyout from the Utah Jazz. If or when those terms are settled, the Knicks could add the former champion to a spot on the bench. Veteran presence of Kevin Love not without value for New York Love is certainly long past his days as a double-double machine, like he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The floor-spacing big man is not even what he used to be with the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, writing him off entirely would be unwise. If there is not key thing Love can still offer to any team, it is undoubtedly his 3-point shooting. The 36-year-old shot 35.8 percent from beyond the arc last season for the Miami Heat. No one is saying to offer Love a prominent bench role, or anything of the sort. However, when the situation calls for an offensive lift and a spaced out floor, the former top five pick can still fit the bill in that scenario.
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