Alex Cora is an excellent manager and the Boston Red Sox are lucky to have him. But was his recent contract extension a harbinger of even better things to come?

Shortly after the All-Star break in 2024, when the Red Sox were still well over .500 and in playoff contention, they announced an extension for their manager, who first took the reins in 2018. When he took his place, there were rumors that Cora might leave once his contract ended, so there was a sudden change of course.

Red Sox fans are happy to have Cora, but the roster isn’t in ideal shape these days. You can’t make the Major League Baseball playoffs with a great manager; They need a strong roster from top to bottom, and top-notch starting pitching is the missing ingredient for the Red Sox.

But what if Cora’s extension was an early indicator that the team was finding the missing ingredient?

Recently, Xavier Scruggs predicted that the Red Sox would sign free-agent starter Max Fried, a two-time National League All-Star, as their new ace. Scruggs specifically pointed to Cora’s extension as evidence that Boston would spend big on starting pitching this winter.

“The Red Sox, they look at their situation from last year and Alex Cora doesn’t sign an extension without a guarantee: ‘You’re going to get me some pitching,'” Scruggs said.

“Alex Cora had many job opportunities. Max Fried, I think he’s going to the Red Sox.”

The 31-year-old Fried would be a welcome addition to a pitching staff that has talent, but not elite-level talent. He has a career record of 73-36 with a 3.07 ERA in 884 1/3 innings. He also has two top-five Cy Young finishes and three Gold Gloves to his credit.

Obtaining Fried will, of course and inevitably, be expensive. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report predicted a seven-year, $175 million deal for the left-hander. That would be the second-largest pitching contract in Red Sox franchise history – but many fans would be more than happy to see it beat the price.

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