BOSTON – While rumors continue to swirl with the Trade Deadline less than 24 hours away, Red Sox manager Alex Cora isn’t sweating any of it.

His team entered the day with a 63-40 record, tied with the Astros for tops in the American League.

And whether or not chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom makes a deal or two between now and Friday’s 4 p.m. ET Deadline, Cora already has an ace up his sleeve.

The looming return of Chris Sale, who could be back by the second week in August, gives this Deadline a decidedly different feel for the Red Sox.

“I talked to [my partner] Angelica this morning and we were talking about that and it just feels that knowing Chris is coming back, it’s the trade that nobody else can make and it’s the ace. Maybe one more team can trade for an ace like him,” said Cora. “But I think that’s what makes it different.”

The other ace Sale was referring to -- Max Scherzer -- appears on the verge of being traded to the Dodgers in a blockbuster that includes Trea Turner, according to sources. So not only do the Red Sox have Sale in their back pocket, but the top starting pitcher on the trade market seems poised to stay in the National League.

While the Red Sox were mentioned in the rumor mill that surrounded Scherzer the past couple of days, Bloom will most likely prioritize getting a left-handed-hitting first baseman and some help in the bullpen before the Deadline expires.

In this last day before the Deadline, all Cora can do is manage the team he has, and see what the next day brings. The Red Sox have been doing a strong job keeping their eye on the prize, with seven wins in their past 10 games entering Thursday.

Cora fully trusts Bloom and his staff will make the best decisions for the club’s short- and long-term future.

“I show up every day to win ballgames and to win a World Series. That's my job,” said Cora. "That's more a question for Chaim and the people upstairs. We trust his people. They've done an amazing job the last [21] months to put us in this situation. Everybody's in the same boat. We know what we want. I think [Dustin] Pedroia said it best in that speech in Spring Training. If you don't show up every day trying to win ballgames and trying to win a World Series, you're not in the right place.”

The less Cora sees of Bloom, the more he knows the executive is trying to make a deal.

“I haven't seen Chaim in like 48 hours. They're up there somewhere. He comes in for like five minutes and then he goes to work, and after games, they go back to work,” said Cora. “One thing for sure, they know a lot more about this stuff than I do. I know players. I don't know prospects or the financial side of it. They're very smart about it. Whatever decision they make, it's not only for the benefit of this team right now and what we're trying to accomplish, but the whole organization.”

Regardless of what does or doesn’t happen on the trade front, Cora also pointed to other reinforcements who will be back from injuries in the coming weeks.

“Marwin [Gonzalez], Danny [Santana], Christian [Arroyo], [Ryan] Brasier, Sale, I think health is something we need,” said Cora. “We believe we’re going to get five big leaguers in the upcoming days, weeks, the upcoming months. All the teams have injuries but we do believe that all these guys at one point, they’re going to help us accomplish what we’re trying to do.”