Red Sox Re-Hire Alex Cora As Manager

One of the worst kept secrets of the last few weeks is now official. Alex Cora has returned to his previous post as manager of the Boston Red Sox.

First reported by MLB Network's Jon Heyman and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Cora returns to Boston after being relieved of his duties last January in the aftermath of the Houston Astros' 2017 cheating scandal.

Cora's new deal is a 2-year contract with a club option for an additional two years. The skipper expressed remorse for bringing negative attention to the Red Sox last winter and said he is grateful to receive a second chance at the job.

Cora joined the company of Terry Francona and John Farrell, guiding the Red Sox to a World Series Championship in his first season in charge in 2018. Boston won a franchise-record 108 regular season games in '18.

The Sox went 84-78 in Cora's 2nd year in charge and finished 19 games behind the New York Yankees.

Cora was hit with a one year suspension for his role in the Astros' cheating scandal. Once that suspension came to an end last Tuesday night with the conclusion of the 2020 World Series, Cora became a top priority candidate for his old job and met with the Red Sox multiple times.

Philadelphia Phillies' front office man Sam Fuld was believed to be the other finalist for the position, with Pittsburgh's Don Kelly and Miami's James Rowson also in the mix.

Sean McAdam of the Boston Sports Journal joined The Drive on Friday to discuss the reunion between Cora and the Sox.