Alex Cora Signs Three-Year Deal As New Red Sox Manager

The Boston Red Sox officially named former utility infielder Alex Cora as their 47th manager on Sunday.

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Cora — the bench coach for the Houston Astros — signed a three-year contract with the Red Sox that runs through the 2020 season and includes a club option for the 2021 season.

Since the Astros are facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series beginning Tuesday, Cora has not yet been formally introduced at Fenway Park. A press conference will have to wait until after the series ends.

“I am extremely honored and humbled to be named manager of the Boston Red Sox,” Cora said in a statement announcing his hiring. “Returning to the Red Sox and the city of Boston is a dream come true for me and my family and I look forward to working towards the ultimate goal of winning another championship for this city and its great fans.”

The Puerto Rican also thanked the Astros “for giving me the chance to start my coaching career.”

“It has been a very special season and an incredible organization to be a part of and I am looking forward to the World Series and winning with this group,” he said.

Cora, 42, played for the Red Sox from 2005 to 2008, after beginning his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with whom he played from 1998 to 2004. He is also the general manager of the Puerto Rico national baseball team, and last played with the Washington Nationals in 2011. Cora then signed with the St. Louis Cardinals, who won the World Series in 2011, but was released by the team in March 2012.

Cora is the 22nd former Red Sox player to manage the team and the first since Butch Hobson (1992-94). Over the past week, team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski met with Cora and two other candidates for the manager position: former Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus and longtime Minnesota Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire, who has since been hired by the Tigers.

John Farell, Cora’s predecessor, had served as Boston’s manager since 2013, when he led the Red Sox to their eighth World Series title. Farrell was fired earlier this month, two days after the team lost three games to the Houston Astros in the AL Division Series.

“Alex brings a lot to the table, my friend,” Astros designated hitter Carlos Beltran said. “He’s a guy that always is looking for information that he could use against the opposite team. He has good communication with the guys, respects the guys. He’s always in the clubhouse getting to know the players, getting to know which buttons he could push on each player to make them go out there and play the game hard, which is great.”

The Red Sox boast a core of talented young players (Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Jackie Bradley Jr.) to go along with an ace (Chris Sale) and elite closer (Craig Kimbrel), both in their primes.

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 2: Alex Cora #13 of the Washington Nationals makes a catch against the New York Mets at Nationals Park on September 2, 2011 in Washington, DC. The New York Mets won, 7-3. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)