The Boston Red Sox are choosing familiarity.
The Red Sox have brought back Alex Cora to assume the manager post he vacated in January, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported Friday.
Ron Roenicke managed Boston to a dismal 24-36 record this season as Cora served a year-long suspension for his role in the 2017 Houston Astros' sign-stealing operation.
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While many assumed Cora would return after his hiatus, the Red Sox reportedly did their due diligence, interviewing multiple manager candidates and strongly considering four other options.
Among those options was Philadelphia Phillies player information coordinator Sam Fuld, a reported favorite of Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom dating to their tenure on the Tampa Bay Rays.
Bloom could have opted for a fresh start by hiring a new candidate like Fuld. But Cora, who is well-liked in Boston and guided the Red Sox to a World Series title two years ago, was the logical choice to help bring this team back into contention.