The Boston Red Sox today announced that they have hired Alex Cora as the 47th manager in club history, agreeing to a three-year contract that will run through the 2020 season, with a club option for the 2021 season.
 
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made the announcement.
 
Cora, 42, made his Major League Baseball coaching debut in 2017 as bench coach of the Houston Astros, helping lead the club to a 101-61 record, the American League West division title, and the second World Series appearance in franchise history.
 
"I am extremely honored and humbled to be named manager of the Boston Red Sox and I want to thank Dave, John Henry, Tom Werner, and Sam Kennedy for giving me such a tremendous opportunity," said Cora. "Returning to the Red Sox and the city of Boston is a dream come true for me and my family and I look forward to working towards the ultimate goal of winning another championship for this city and its great fans. At the same time, I want to express my appreciation for Jim Crane, Jeff Luhnow, A.J. Hinch, and the entire Houston Astros organization for giving me the chance to start my coaching career. It has been a very special season and an incredible organization to be a part of and I am looking forward to the World Series and winning with this group."
 
"We were very impressed when we interviewed Alex," said Dombrowski. "He came to us as a highly-regarded candidate, and from speaking with him throughout this process, we found him to be very knowledgeable, driven, and deserving of this opportunity. He is a highly respected and hardworking individual who has experience playing in Boston. Alex also has a full appreciation for the use of analytical information in today's game and his ability to communicate and relate to both young players and veterans is a plus. Finally, the fact that he is bilingual is very significant for our club."
 
"In Alex we have found a natural leader to guide our clubhouse," said Red Sox Principal Owner John W. Henry. "He is extremely smart with a dedication to what it takes to be successful in today's game on the field. His baseball acumen and his ability to think strategically are uncommon for someone his age. We could not have found a better match for our players, our front office and for where we intend to go over the coming years as an organization."
 
"As someone who has played in Boston and knows what it takes to win here, Alex is uniquely positioned to instill a championship culture," said Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner. "Baseball is in his blood and we could not be more pleased to have found someone so accomplished to lead our team. Welcome home, Alex." 
 
A native of Puerto Rico, Cora is the 22nd former Red Sox player named manager of the club, having played parts of four seasons with Boston from 2005-08. The last Red Sox manager who also played for Boston was Butch Hobson, a Red Sox infielder from 1975-80 and manager from 1992-94. 
 
For the past five winters, Cora has served as general manager for the Criollos de Caguas in the Puerto Rican Winter League, doubling as the club's manager for two of those (2014-15, 2015-16). Last winter, his Caguas club earned Puerto Rico its first Caribbean Series title since 2000. Cora also was the general manager for the Puerto Rico team that finished second in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
 
Prior to being hired by the Astros in November 2016, Cora spent four years (2013-16) as a baseball analyst for ESPN and ESPN Deportes. He appeared on several television programs, including Baseball Tonight, Beisbol Esta Noche, and SportsCenter, and contributed to ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes Radio.
 
Cora's broadcasting career followed a 16-year playing career that included parts of 14 seasons in the majors. He appeared in 1,273 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2004), Cleveland Indians (2005), Red Sox (2005-08), New York Mets (2009-10), Texas Rangers (2010), and Washington Nationals (2011). Cora also played for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009.
 
During his time with the Red Sox, Cora batted .252 (176-for-698) in 301 games, splitting time primarily between second base and shortstop. He was part of Boston's Division Series roster in 2005 and appeared in four games during the club's 2007 World Series title run, including two games in the Championship Series and two in the Fall Classic. He also served as the Red Sox' starting shortstop in three games during the 2008 postseason.
 
Selected by the Dodgers in the third round of the 1996 June Draft out of the University of Miami, Cora reached the College World Series in each of his three years with the Hurricanes (1994-96).
 
Cora resides in Caguas and has four children: Camila, Jeriel, Xander, and Isander. His older brother, Joey, played parts of 11 major league seasons with the San Diego Padres (1987, 1989-90), Chicago White Sox (1991-94), Seattle Mariners (1995-98), and Indians (1998).