When the Boston Red Sox made the surprising decision to extend manager Alex Cora last season, many fans wanted to scream at the top of their lungs. Boston was so close to being rid of Cora, and the Red Sox decided instead to keep him around for another three years.
It appears, however, that Craig Breslow and the Red Sox front office knew something that fanbase didn't. Cora was handed a three-year deal worth more than $7 million per year, and this year's Red Sox have been one of the hottest teams in Major League Baseball.