Astros bench coach and former major-league infielder Alex Cora, age 41, is a hot managerial prospect these days. Already, he's reportedly interviewed for the Red Sox's dugout vacancy, and now another notable East Coast club apparently has him in mind. The details from Ken Rosenthal:
#Mets will interview Alex Cora for managerial vacancy tomorrow, sources tell The Athletic. Cora remains front-runner for #RedSox’s position.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 16, 2017
The Mets are of course coming off a disappointing 2017 season in which they lost 92 games. That resulted in Terry Collins' being kicked upstairs after seven seasons as manager and a pennant in 2015. The Mets have some upside in 2018 and beyond if they can stay healthier. However, from Cora's perspective the Boston job figures to be the more attractive one. They have some impressive young talent in place in tandem with returning veteran contributors and, unlike the Mets, an ownership group that's willing to invest in the product at levels befitting their resources. The Sox are of course coming off a second straight AL East title. They were eliminated by Cora's Astros in the ALDS.
During his playing days, Cora spent time with the Red Sox (2005-08) and Mets (2009-10).
