McAdam: Alex Cora returns as Red Sox manager

Ten months after he left in shame, tied to a scandal with another organization, Alex Cora is returning to manage the Red Sox -- again.

On Friday morning, the team offered Cora his former job and were completing negotiations, a baseball source said. MLB Network's Jon Heyman was first with the news.

It's expected that the team will officially confirm his hiring at some point today, with a press conference likely at the beginning of next week.

The team had interviewed and considered a host of candidates for the position, but ultimately decided to return to Cora, who spent the 2020 season in exile after being suspended for the season for his involvement with a sign-stealing scandal with the Houston Astros in 2017. Cora had served as bench coach for the Astros and was found to be one of the architects of the scheme to relay signs to hitters by banging on dugout trash cans.

Cora's suspension ended when the 2020 World Series concluded and the Red Sox soon re-engaged with him about returning.

Among the other candidates considered for the job: Pittsburgh Pirates bench coach Don Kelly; Miami Marlins bench coach James Rowson; New York Yankee coach Carlos Mendoza; and Philadelphia Phillies staffer Sam Fuld, who was the other finalist for the opening.

From the outset, Cora was the clear favorite of ownership (and senior management) and players. In the minutes after news of Cora's return broke, pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez tweeted his approval. Cora was also backed by a number of players, including shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who voiced his support for Cora's return on the final day of the 2020 season.

Cora led the Red Sox to a 2018 World Series championship in his first year on the job, directing the team to a franchise-record 108 regular-season wins. As a first-year manager, Cora was able to incorporate analytics with more traditional methods, gained over a playing career that spanned 14 years, including parts of four seasons with the Red Sox.

Despite his departure in January -- which the team emphasized was a "mutual parting of the ways'' -- Cora remained the choice of principal owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner and team president/CEO Sam Kennedy. At a press conference in January to announce the move, all three expressed admiration and affection for him, even as they decried his misdeeds with the Astros.

(The Red Sox themselves were investigated later by Major League Baseball for sign-stealing allegations in the 2018 season under Cora, but he was mostly absolved. A staff assistant, J.T. Watkins was the only person disciplined by MLB).

Cora's return comes at a time when the Red Sox have hit rock bottom -- both in terms of on-field performance and in the court of public opinion.

Under Ron Roenicke, who served as Cora's bench coach in 2018 and 2019, the Red Sox posted their worst winning percentage since 1965. The team was badly outclassed on the field, finishing in last place in the American League East and were effectively eliminated from contention by mid-August after a nine-game losing streak.

No fans were allowed in major league ballparks, so the team's poor performance was not witnessed in person. But by any measure, interest in the team cratered, with TV ratings falling by half over the previous year.

Cora's return is a boost to the team in the court of public opinion. Even after his departure, he remained a favorite of much of the fan base, and his re-hiring will no doubt mollify those whose engagement with the team almost ceased to exist in 2020.

Upon his return, Cora will inherit a flawed roster, especially when it comes to the starting rotation. The Red Sox had a ghastly 5.58 ERA, second-worst in the American League and will likely not get staff ace Chris Sale back until May or June as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

Still, Cora's return will give the franchise the stability it has lacked at the position. Had the Sox chosen someone else, the new manager would have been the sixth Sox manager in the last 11 years.