The Boston Red Sox are set to bring back Alex Cora fewer than 10 months after letting him go. The manager will be re-hired in a move that some in the baseball world have expected for weeks.

Cora was fired as Boston’s manager in January because of his role in the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal en route to the 2017 World Series. The 45-year-old was not dismissed for anything he did during his time with the team, making it easier for the organization to bring him back.

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman first reported Friday morning that the Red Sox are re-hiring Cora.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch was suspended for the entire 2020 season, and it became clear that Cora was headed for a similar fate. Boston fired Cora before his year-long suspension became official in April.

“I do [believe he deserves a second chance],” Red Sox president Sam Kennedy said on a conference call shortly after Cora was suspended. “That’s my personal feeling. He does need to go through a rehabilitation process. What he did was wrong. He acknowledged it to us and apologized to us for that. But I'm a big believer in second chances and we all wish him well.”

Boston won the 2018 World Series in Cora’s first year as the manager. The Red Sox led MLB with 108 regular-season wins and cruised to a championship with an 11-3 postseason record.

With the best record in franchise history, Boston had arguably its best season with Cora at the helm.

The Red Sox took a step back in 2019, missing the playoffs with an 84-78 record.

Ron Roenicke replaced Cora for the truncated 2020 season. Boston finished in last place in the AL East with a 24-36 record.

Alex Cora
Alex Cora #20 of the Boston Red Sox sits in the dugout prior to Game Five of the 2018 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, Oct. 28, 2018. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
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