If you're wondering why chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and the Boston Red Sox brought back a manager who just served a year-long suspension for cheating, David Price has a pretty compelling answer.
Price was in Boston during Alex Cora's first two seasons as Red Sox manager and won a World Series title in with Cora in 2018 before Boston traded him and Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers last offseason.
So, the veteran pitcher's reaction to the Red Sox rehiring Cora on Friday carries some weight.
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Tomase: Red Sox bringing Cora back puts Bloom in spotlight
"AC was respected by everyone in the clubhouse,â Price told The Boston Globe's Julian McWilliams on Friday via text message. âWhen he spoke we listened. Heâs genuine and I appreciated everything he did for me and the team.
"Guys respond to AC well and he has a different relationship with everyone on the team."
The 45-year-old Cora, who shared Instagram tributes to Price and Betts after their trade to Los Angeles, formed close bonds with his players in Boston and was well-respected in the clubhouse.
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Those bonds apparently haven't broken, as Cora's phone reportedly was "buzzing all morning"Â Friday with Red Sox players texting him after he got the job.
Bloom could have hand-picked his "own" manager to start fresh after Boston's disastrous 2020 campaign. Instead, the Red Sox executive and team ownership opted for a manager whose players should welcome him back with open arms.