Red Sox Rumors: Alex Cora, Sam Fuld Likely to Be Finalists for Manager's Job

The Boston Red Sox have narrowed their list of options as they look to hire a new manager.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported Sam Fuld, Alex Cora, James Rowson, Don Kelly and Carlos Mendoza are still in the running. According to Heyman, Cora and Fuld have emerged as the strongest contenders, with the latter "having a very real chance."

One would presume Cora to have the inside track.

The Red Sox fired him in January for his role in the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal. He was subsequently suspended for the entire 2020 season, having been cleared after an investigation into sign-stealing allegations against Boston.

The fact the Sox are at least considering Cora signals their willingness to welcome him back. The optics of re-hiring him won't be as bad, either, after the Detroit Tigers hired former Astros manager AJ Hinch, who earned a one-year suspension for 2020 as well.

However, Heyman noted Fuld and Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom already have some experience together from their days with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Bloom worked in Tampa Bay's front office before leaving for Boston in October 2019. Fuld, a New Hampshire native, spent three seasons with the Rays as a player from 2011-13. He currently serves as the Philadelphia Phillies' director of integrative baseball performance.

In addition, Bloom may not feel too much allegiance to Cora since he didn't have any role in initially hiring him, and their tenures didn't overlap much.

Still, it might be tough to look past Cora's existing rapport with a lot of the current players and the 2018 World Series championship that the franchise won with him at the helm.