Alex Cora knows he might be a scapegoat for another potential Red Sox down year.
With one year left on his contract and another potential long year staring down Boston, Cora interestingly acknowledged in a conversation with The Athletic that he will not starve for work at this point next year.
“There’s always TV. Who says I want to manage next year? People are making assumptions,” Cora told the outlet. “I want to be in baseball. I love what I do. But there’s always ESPN. I know that.”
He added, “And Deportes,” in reference to ESPN’s Spanish-language channel.
Cora told Ken Rosenthal that he hopes to manage next year, and it’s very possible another team could swoop in, even if Boston struggles again.
It certainly raises eyebrows, though, that Cora would acknowledge another potential avenue for him should Boston move on from him.
Compare that response to how fellow pending free agent manager Aaron Boone, a fellow ESPN alumnus, has discussed his future, often in a “things will work themselves out” fashion.
The reality is Cora surely knows the Red Sox are in a tough spot in the AL East, especially with top free-agent signing Lucas Giolito potentially suffering a season-ending elbow injury.
While Cora did deliver a World Series title in 2018, another finish in the AL East basement would mark his third straight last-place finish.
Fangraphs projects the Red Sox to finish 80-82 with a 27.2 percent chance to make the playoffs.
“I do feel we’re better than what people think,” Cora told The Athletic.
He added: “I like what I see. I really do. There’s something about this group, the willingness to work.”
If the Red Sox overachieve as Cora indicated he expects them to, then he will have no issues finding work for 2025 — even if it’s not in Boston.
“Over the years — I hate to say it this way, because it feels like I’m bragging — but I have controlled the narrative since 2017,” Cora told the outlet in reference to when he was hired. “Twice a day on that bench (in spring training), twice a day in Fenway, no one can say he hasn’t been able to deal with Boston.”
He added: “The house in Newton is still there. It’s not up for sale. A good friend of mine who runs an organization said, ‘You can put it up for sale. If you’re not here, you sell it. If you’re here, then you get a bigger one.’”
