Cora was relieved of his duties after being implicated in a sign-stealing scandalGETTY IMAGES
News that the Red Sox are bringing back almost their entire coaching staff "means one of two things: either Alex Cora is the 'new' Red Sox manager or the Sox are going to hire a puppet to carry out the wishes of the nerds in the front office," according to Dan Shaughnessy of the BOSTON GLOBE. Shaughnessy: "Here's hoping it's Cora. Meet-the-new-boss-same-as-the-old-boss makes a lot of sense for the Red Sox." Cora has taken a "few liberties with the rule book," but the Red Sox are in "no position to stand on principle." Shaughnessy: "They need a star and they need a proven commodity. Cora is both" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/18). In Boston, Peter Abraham noted Red Sox officials have sent mixed messages on Cora, with Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom suggesting that he was "against the idea," but President & CEO Sam Kennedy "not closing any doors." The team has been "otherwise quiet about the decision." The organization "needs a positive development after alienating many fans with a series of blunders dating to raising ticket prices a year ago after a third-place finish" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/18).
TOUGH CALLS: In Baltimore, Jon Meoli noted resources have been "poured into" the Orioles' scouting and player development departments, and Orioles Assistant GM/Analytics Sig Mejdal "got to build out and hire a full analytics department." The flipside has been trades "designed to cut major league payroll and build the minor league talent base," as well as "significant staff reductions" both in baseball operations and on the business side. Both began in '19 and continued through the '20 season, though the organization "did pay all its full- and part-time employees through this week." Until the Orioles "prove otherwise," all of this "should make clear that adding payroll simply isn't on the agenda this winter" (BALTIMORE SUN, 10/16).
