Alex Cora will not name a closer before Red Sox Opening Day
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Oct 26, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora before game three of the 2018 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
By Matt McCarthy, 985TheSportsHub.com
Red Sox manager Alex Cora has announced his opening day lineup, but he has no plans to announce a closer entering the 2019 season.
Cora addressed the media Wednesday afternoon in Seattle, just over 24 hours before the Red Sox begin their World Series title defense. He told reporters that he will not officially name a closer.
Cora: ‘I’m not going to name a closer. ... I don’t think there’s a structure or a script you have to follow (for naming one).’ He says he’s known what he’s wanted to do ‘since November.’ His plan will be revealed tomorrow.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) March 27, 2019
On 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Hardcore Baseball, Sean McAdam of The Boston Sports Journal noted the Red Sox are wary about labeling their bullpen approach “closer-by-committee,” after the plan by that name infamously yielded disastrous results in 2003.
The Red Sox opening day lineup is below:
- Andrew Benintendi, LF
- Mookie Betts, RF
- Rafael Devers, 3B
- J.D. Martinez, DH
- Xander Bogaerts, SS
- Mitch Moreland, 1B
- Eduardo Nunez, 2B
- Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
- Christian Vazquez, C
You can hear Matt McCarthy on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s own Hardcore Baseball podcast and on various 98.5 The Sports Hub programs. Follow him on Twitter @MattMcCarthy985.