Alex Cora’s next move is still hanging over the Red Sox, and the latest reporting says the interest in him hasn’t cooled off one bit.
Boston stunned the baseball world in April when it fired Cora and several coaches after a 10-17 start. The move didn’t spark an immediate surge, either.
The Red Sox are 39-48 now, and under interim manager Chad Tracy they’re 29-31 overall. There has been some progress over the last two weeks, but the gap between where Boston is and where it wants to be is still obvious.
Even with the Red Sox trying to steady themselves, Cora’s name keeps coming up around the league. The Philadelphia Phillies were the first team linked to him after Boston made its move, and they reportedly offered him their managerial job after firing Rob Thomson. Cora turned that down, for now.
That hasn’t changed the way he’s viewed. Around the league, Cora is still seen as one of the best managers available, which is why his firing landed with such a jolt in the first place. And according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the New York Mets would “love” to hire him, though Cora is still “expected” to end up in Philadelphia after the season.
"While the New York Mets would love to hire Alex Cora as their next manager, Cora still is expected to join the Phillies after rejecting their offer to replace Rob Thomson, who the club fired on April 28," Nightengale wrote. "The Phillies instead turned to Don Mattingly. Hall of Famer Carlos Beltran is the favorite for the Mets’ vacancy when interim manager Andy Green returns to the front office this winter."
For Boston, the immediate concern is its own mess, not where Cora lands. Still, the destination matters. If he ends up in the National League, the Red Sox won’t have to deal with him as often, and a landing spot with the Mets or Phillies would at least keep that part of the story from circling back on Boston too frequently.
The firing was always going to be debated, and it still is. The cleanest way for the Red Sox to move past it is simple: play better and let the noise fade on its own.
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For Baltimore, the intrigue is less about Philadelphias needs than what Ward represents if the market keeps warming up. He is viewed as the kind of rental a contender can chase before he reaches free agency after the season, which is exactly the sort of profile that tends to stir deadline noise around a player who has become part of the Orioles everyday picture. The question now is how aggressive that pursuit gets, and whether Baltimore is forced to weigh short-term value against the kind of return that could make moving him easier to stomach. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Suddenly Have A Taylor Ward Problem At The Worst Time
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That slide has already been noticed outside Baltimore, too. ESPNs latest trade-chip rankings have Ward slipping from 12th in the first edition to 24th now, a reminder that his market is changing along with his production. The Orioles would love to see him straighten things out over the next stretch, not just because they need the offense, but because a stronger finish would give them a much better position when the deadline conversations really start to heat up. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Bullpen Concerns Just Grew As Another Lineup Shuffle Looms
The Orioles bullpen picture took another hit with Keegan Akin now seeking a second opinion on his left elbow, while Colin Selby remains on the 60-day injured list and Ryan Helsley is still working through treatment on his right elbow. For a club already trying to patch together innings, the latest medical updates only add to the pressure on a relief group that has been asked to absorb a lot this season.
At the same time, Baltimore is trying to manage the rest of the roster with an eye on a Cubs matchup that brings a left-handed starter into the mix. The lineup card reflects that balancing act, with the Orioles turning to several younger bats and moving pieces around as they look for the right combination, even as the bullpen uncertainty keeps hanging over the day. [Read more 🡒]