Hot Stove Lunch: Alex Cora's re-worked deal vaults him into MLB's Top 10

A year ago, Alex Cora didn't have a whole lot of contractual leverage. When he signed a three-year deal, Cora was paid an entry-level salary for a first-time manager, with the contract totaling $3 million.

That included an $800,000 salary for his first season, a figure that seemed shockingly low for a major league manager, but in actuality, was in keeping with others around the game. Other first-year managers like Gabe Kapler and Mickey Callaway received similar deals.

But last week, the day after Cora lost out to Bob Melvin as AL Manager of the Year, the Red Sox stepped in and re-worked his deal. And overnight, Cora went from one of the game's lowest-paid managers to the upper third.

According to an industry source with knowledge of the deal, in extending Cora's deal for another guaranteed year (his contract now runs through 2021 with a team option for 2022), the club also more than doubled Cora's salary going forward.

In 2019, the source said, Cora will be paid at least $2 million. The original contract called for salaries of $1 million in 2019 and $1.2 million in 2020.

In the subsequent seasons, his salary will continue to escalate.

That doesn't make Cora the game's highest-paid manager in the game. According to USA Today, the Cubs' Joe Maddon and the San Francisco Giants Bruce Bochy make $6 million, followed by Terry Francona ($4 million), Kansas City's Ned Yost ($3.7 million), Pittsburgh's Clint Hurdle ($3 million), Melvin ($2.5 million) and Miami's Don Mattingly ($2.4 million).

(Two other managers - Houston's A.J. Hinch and Tampa Bay's Kevin Cash -- have received extensions since USA Today's story ran).

But at a minimum of $2 million for 2019, Cora is now in the Top 10 highest-paid managers in the game.

Amazing what a World Series championship can do to one's standing.

Elsewhere...

AL EAST

After acquiring James Paxton, where do the Yankees go from here?

The Orioles are bringing back Jace Peterson on a minor league deal.

In a surprise move, the Rays DFA'd C.J. Cron

The Blue Jays did some roster shuffling in preparation for the Rule 5 draft.

AL CENTRAL

The Minnesota Twins are tweaking their organizational philosophy some.

Lynn Henning asks: When will the Tigers contend again?

The Royals added a trio of pitchers to their 40-man roster.

AL WEST 

The Astros are among the teams interested in Paul Goldschmidt - and they have the prospects to get him.

With the retirement of Adrian Beltre, the Rangers are now led by Elvis Andrus.

Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto said the Mariners may take a step back in 2019.

What if the Angels did the unthinkable and put Mike Trout up for auction?

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Jim Hickey surprised everyone by resigning as Cubs pitching coach.

HOT TAKE I MIGHT SOON REGRET

Manny Machado is in damage control mode, apparently. Machado spoke with MLB.com and tried to walk back his comments from last month in which the infielder said he was never going to be "Johnny Hustle.''

Those remarks came after Machado was criticized for not running hard to first base in the NLCS.

It was not, you'll recall, a great October for Machado. In addition to the ill-chosen words about effort, he was twice seen kicking first basemen -- including Steve Pearce -- as he crossed the first base bag.

Dirty and unmotivated is no way to go into the free agent market. So Machado is trying to salvage his reputation.

That's a sure sign that Machado (and his representatives) realize that, at least to date, the market is perhaps not as robust as they expected.

Shocking, isn't it, that teams might be reluctant to commit upwards of $300 million who was on record as saying that he couldn't guarantee full effort?