If Alex Cora takes rest of year off, Miami Marlins could be his next stop

Here's a simple question for long-time students of the Miami Marlins.

Does Clayton McCullough remind you more of John Boles or Jack McKeon?

Thus far, it's Boles all the way. Admittedly, this might be a touch unfair- this is the first season the Marlins are trying to be good under his watch, after all. However, the sense is there among a big chunk of the fanbase (always an objective bunch) that McCullough is more teacher than champion. So that's the gist for those that missed it of the Boles-McKeon comparison. One is the manager you have at the early to middle stages of the rebuild. The other is the name you bring in when it's time to do some winning.

At any rate, the inspiration for this question comes courtesy of former Marlins reliever and now embattled Red Sox general manager Craig Breslow, who made headlines Saturday for firing Red Sox manager Alex Cora, along with much of his staff. The decision came less than thirty games into the MLB season, and took much of the league by surprise. Cora had led the Red Sox to the playoffs multiple times, and won a World Series with them in 2018, during his tenure. He had recently signed an extension. The list of people who saw Cora as the primary problem behind the Red Sox early season woes would appear to be limited to Craig Breslow, his immediate family, and presumably another former Marlin/presently maligned member of the Red Sox front office in owner John Henry.

Consequently, much of the internet immediately took to contemplating where Cora will land next. Some have even suggested he could find work again this season, taking the reins for one of the other perennial playoff contenders that is struggling at the moment. The Astros, Mets, and Phillies have all been thrown out as teams that might also be reaching a breaking point with their present skipper.

Obviously, those would all be very attractive prospects for Cora. All three teams tend to spend big, and again are in the mix every season. The Mets and Phillies had more reasonable championship expectations this year than the Red Sox. Can't deny the appeal there.

However...what if Cora takes the rest of the year off from coaching? Not unreasonable to think he'd take the paid vacation to spend some unexpected time with the family. Perhaps he even banks a little more money commentating on a couple playoff series. All while he also spends the rest of the year waiting for the best opportunity for him and his family going forward.

What if it's with the Miami Marlins?

Miami is a lot closer to Puerto Rico than Boston was, and Cora tends to spend much of the offseason there. He's already won a championship, so getting a ring might not be the primary motivation at this stage of his career. Yet he's young enough that this isn't likely to be a case of a vaunted coach just looking to be paid to work on his golf game. He'll also have an axe to grind after being unceremoniously dismissed like this, and will be hungry to prove the Red Sox wrong.

Still, why would the Marlins have a shot? Unless one of those three teams already mentioned win a World Series, all three of those jobs will probably remain open this offseason. Probably a couple more winning teams as well, once their playoff dreams go bust later on this summer. The competition is going to be deep, and geography alone won't cut it.

However, the Marlins might have some surprising things going for them in such a pursuit.

For one, at least since Peter Bendix took the helm, Miami has kind of been a pretty stable organization? Something just doesn't work with the Mets. Dave Dombrowski has been sparring with Bryce Harper. Jim Crane sort of gives off George Steinbrenner vibes, and not in a lovable he keeps winning the World Series lately way. Meanwhile, the Marlins have drawn consistent kudos of late for their development changes. A new spring training facility, the fruits of that Dominican Academy, a competent general manager, and a tantalizing starting rotation under team control all should tempt any manager.

For another, the deep pockets of the opposition might be about to count for way less. If MLB installs a salary cap and floor, then the biggest argument against the Marlins gets weakened dramatically. If that spending gap closes, then the Marlins can take advantage of the geographic benefits the rest of the local teams use to get top talent. Or at least top front office talent.

Bottom-line? If the Miami Marlins come up short of their goals this season, and Alex Cora spends the rest of the season weighing his choices? If MLB chips in with salary reform?

It all lines up for Cora coming to the Miami Marlins in 2027.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow