Red Sox may be on verge of acknowledging Cora as their managerial choice

The Red Sox are going to have a wait a while longer to introduce their next manager. But they might be able to confirm his hiring as soon as Sunday.

The Houston Astros defeated the New York Yankees 4-0 in Game 7 of the ALCS Saturday night, which appeared to push off  — for 10 days to two weeks — any chance the Red Sox would have to make official what people around baseball have suspected for some time: current Astros bench coach Alex Cora will be named the next manager of the Red Sox.

With Cora still under the employ of the Astros and the franchise headed to just its second Series in history, the Red Sox will have to wait to hold an introductory press conference. Major League Baseball does not like its signature event disturbed by off-field news.

But an MLB source hinted Sunday that it's now conceivable -- perhaps even likely -- that the Red Sox could issue a statement confirming Cora's hiring, while still waiting until the Astros are through with the World Series before bringing Cora to Boston for a full-scale introductory press conference.

Had the Astros lost Saturday night, the Red Sox would have had time to work out a contract with Cora and then introduce him to the media on Monday, the day before the start of the World Series.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Saturday that Cora would be the next Sox manager, with a contract three years in length. Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com had a similarly worded report.

A Red Sox source, with direct knowledge of the team’s search, would not comment on those reports Saturday night. However, a baseball source indicated Saturday that there was no official agreement in place, though it was expected that would be a mere formality in time.

A report by NJ.com last week said that Red Sox ownership spoke by phone with Cora mid-week, seemingly the final step in green-lighting his hire by the team.

The sudden opening by the Washington Nationals, who announced Friday that Dusty Baker would not return in 2018, offered a potential 11th-hour obstacle for the Red Sox, since the Nats, according to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, would seek permission from the Astros to also interview Cora.

Cora ended his playing career with the Nationals in 2011 and enjoys a good relationship with Nationals GM Mike Rizzo. Also, the Nationals roster is dotted with clients – including Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer — of the same agent who represents Cora: Scott Boras.

But another source suggested Cora prefers the Red Sox job. He spent nearly four seasons with the Sox and was part of the '07 championship team. Additionally, he’s maintained a relationship with the Sox through his involvement with a winter league team in his native Caguas, Puerto Rico.

At 42, Cora is seen as a highly attractive managerial candidate throughout baseball. He has demonstrated an ability to connect with players, especially younger ones, and a willingness to utilize the analytics that have become such an integral part of the game. He’s also bilingual, which is seen as a big advantage for an organization like the Red Sox who have a number of key Spanish-speaking players on the roster (Rafael Devers, Eduardo Rodriguez, Christian Vazquez) and many others in the minor league system.

One high-ranking member of the Red Sox front office has been telling associates for the past week that Cora is the Red Sox choice. The team also interviewed former Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus, as well as former Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. Gardenhire was introduced as the new manager of the Tigers on Friday, taking him out of consideration in Boston.

That leaves just Ausmus and Cora, though president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said as recently as Friday that the Red Sox were still reviewing their process and trying to determine whether to interview additional candidates.

But that was likely little more than a stalling tactic, as the Red Sox waited to see how the ALCS unfolds.