“We made a decision on the last [contract] to keep it at three years, and there was a reason.”
The 2026 season will mark Alex Cora’s eighth year as the manager of the Boston Red Sox. Cora reached the pinnacle in his very first season with a World Series victory in 2018. However, his tenure has also seen its share of challenges: his firing in 2020 amid the fallout from the Houston Astros’ 2017 cheating scandal, back-to-back losing seasons in 2022 and 2023, and missing the playoffs for three consecutive years (2022-24).
Managing hundreds of different player personalities each season, combined with the pressures of in-game decision-making, can inevitably lead to burnout. Despite these hurdles, it doesn’t sound like Cora is contemplating what lies beyond his current role. While he has openly admitted that the recent losing seasons took a mental toll, he remains optimistic about the state of the Red Sox as they enter the 2026 season and is focused on finishing his current contract, which runs through 2027.
Recently, Cora addressed questions about his future with the organization in an interview with The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham.
“Honestly, we’re in a good spot. I think the family is happy and things here look tremendous, right?” Cora said when asked where he sees himself once his contract expires.
“We have a bright future. The cool thing is that we’re not talking too much about the future. We’re talking about the present.
“That’s what I want. I get that you have to go through phases through your career and there were tough years here. But now I think everything is in place, I feel strongly about what’s going on here. We’ll see what the future holds.”
Cora signed a three-year contract extension in July 2024, reportedly earning over $7 million per season. Given that his deal will expire next fall, it’s reasonable to expect extension talks to begin sometime in 2026. However, Cora has not disclosed whether he plans to engage in those discussions or if he intends to manage beyond 2027.
“We have to talk about it. We made a decision on the last [contract] to keep it at three years, and there was a reason,” he said when asked if he has an “end date” in mind for managing the Red Sox.
“I like where the team is at. It’s fun again. We have a good chance to do what that group did in ’18. They only won one, but we can get to the playoffs consistently, and that’s what you want.”
Family considerations have always been a major factor in Cora’s professional decisions. When he signed his extension two years ago, he emphasized how important it was that Boston feels like home to his partner and children.
“It’s the world. We’ve been talking for a little bit here, and talking to [my partner] Angelica [and daughter] Camila, and this is home for us. I just want to be happy and comfortable,” he told MLB.com’s Ian Browne at the time.
His priorities remain the same today. Discussing his future with the Red Sox, Cora pointed out that the education of his elementary-school-aged twin sons will play a key role in any decision-making.
“I think if we’re going to continue to do this as a family, there’s big decisions to come like school. Right now [his sons] are in third grade and it’s easy. But fifth grade, sixth grade, it’s different. We have to make decisions based on that.”
On the field, a significant career milestone looms for Cora. He needs 134 more wins to tie Terry Francona for second place on the Red Sox’s all-time managerial wins list. Entering the 2026 season, Cora has 610 victories compared to Francona’s 744 — a milestone he is likely to reach within the next two seasons.
Cora played under Francona as an infielder for the Red Sox from 2005 to 2008, and together they won the 2007 World Series. Interestingly, Cora’s Red Sox will face Francona’s Cincinnati Reds on Opening Day next week in Cincinnati.
When told how close he is to Francona’s win total, Cora admitted he was surprised but kept his focus on bigger goals.
“Does it matter? No. Playing in October, that’s the most important thing,” Cora said. “Those are the cool days. You work so hard to make that happen, and hopefully we can continue to do that.”
https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-red-sox/2026/03/20/red-sox-alex-cora-future/
