In a bid to secure a spot in the postseason, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has made his expectations abundantly clear to the front office ahead of the upcoming MLB trade deadline.
Despite low expectations at the start of the 2023 season, the Red Sox have managed to maintain a respectable 53-47 record, finding themselves in the thick of the playoff race.
Cora’s goal, as it should be, is to win the World Series. If you read between the lines, it seems he’s annoyed that Boston’s front office is a little too focused on bolstering their farm system rather than fielding the best big-league team as possible.
“We’re in a good place. But at the end of the day, the place that we like is to play in October,” Cora expressed. “It’s not about how many prospects you have or where your farm system is. It might be #1 or 30th or whatever.”
“The one that really counts is how many games you win in October and how many games you play in October. That’s what we’re shooting for. For all the ups and downs, we’re right there. It’s not how you get into the dance. It’s what you do there.”
Despite Cora’s clear stance, the Red Sox front office is yet to finalize their approach to the trade deadline, leaving fans curious about the team’s potential moves.
The team faced significant losses in the form of Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, and Nathan Eovaldi during free agency, but also made valuable additions to the batting order in the form of Justin Turner and Masataka Yoshida, both of whom have contributed positively to the team’s performance.
Yoshida, with a .319 batting average, .381 on-base percentage, and 11 home runs, has been a standout performer, while Justin Turner, boasting a .286/.354/.478 slash line, has provided power with 16 home runs and 64 RBIs.
Looking at the team’s potential needs, the Red Sox currently have three starting pitchers on the injured list – Chris Sale, Tanner Houck, and Garrett Whitlock – making starting pitching a priority area to address.
Additionally, bolstering the bullpen would be a smart strategy to strengthen the team’s chances of securing a playoff spot.
The burning question remains whether Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom will adopt an aggressive buying approach at the trade deadline, aligning with Cora’s aspirations to lead the Red Sox into the postseason.
Should Bloom and the front office go all-in (or at least partially-in) on making a World Series run this season?
There’s a feeling among a large portion of Red Sox Nation that the club has become very cheap compared to how they used to be.
Do you feel that’s true?