If Alex Cora wants his old job back, it sounds like he'll have to earn it.
The former Boston manager met in person last Friday with Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and general manager Brian O’Halloran to discuss the team's manager opening, The Boston Globe's Alex Speier reported Wednesday.
That's hardly a surprise, as Cora managed the Red Sox to a World Series title in 2018 and is viewed as a favorite to return to the post he vacated in January 2020 due to his role in the 2017 Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal.
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But it sounds like Boston isn't set on Cora just yet. Here's Speier:
"Adding to the uncertainty surrounding Cora, Red Sox officials met on Monday with another candidate for the managerial position – a meeting that made clear that even if Cora is being considered for a return to his former job, the Sox continue to explore alternatives."
Those alternatives reportedly include a shortlist of four candidates -- Phillies player information coordinator Sam Fuld, Pirates bench coach Don Kelly, Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza and Marlins bench coach James Rowson -- who all have had second interviews with Boston, per Speier.
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The Red Sox' deliberation likely centers around Bloom, who overlapped with Cora for less than three months this past offseason and unlike many in the organization has yet to work with the 45-year-old during a major league season.
If last Friday's meeting went well, then Bloom could give his blessing to re-hire a well-liked and successful manager in Cora. But as the Red Sox enter year two of their rebuild, Bloom also may value a fresh start with a new manager who has no ties to the Dave Dombrowski era.