Red Sox Offseason Choose Your Own Adventure - A Cora by Any Other Name

As I said last time, you can find the story stream here. You know, just in case you want to get caught up on where the story is so far.

Just a quick note before we start:

This is where fantasy sort of comes into play. Up until this point, we’ve had a somewhat silly, but still realistic scenario unfolding. But because we don’t want every choice to be simple and binary, we’re going to experiment with something a little odd. This may or may not be permanent, but I figured this update was the best one to experiment with. If you want things to be a little more rational and realistic, let me know in the comments below. On the other hand, if you think this silliness is just what we needed after such a long season that ended in heartbreak, let me know as well.

The next update will reflect your decision.

October 12th, 2017 - 10 AM EST

Henry - “So, Alex, we’re glad to have you here.”

Cora - “Thanks, Mr. Henry. It’s been a lifelong dream to become a manager in the big leagues, and I really do believe the Red Sox give me the best opportunity of those who have reached out to me.”

Henry - “Please, just call me Alex. We’re all friends here, and I have to be entirely honest, although it’s an awful bargaining strategy. You are my top pick for the job, so as long as you check all the boxes and we can agree on a salary, you’ll be the new Sox manager by this time tomorrow.”

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Cora - “That seems a little too convenient, and it almost feels like I’m in a video game or something. You ever see that NBA 2k18 MyGM mode? That’s how it feels. Like you would have this same conversation regardless of who walked through that door.”

Henry - “Don’t be silly, this isn’t a video game. This is real life and you are about to become the Red Sox manager!”

Alex Cora and Alexander Henry stare each other down for a minute. It was obvious to all that Cora was a brilliant man, but he was so brilliant, apparently, that he saw through the game, into the brain of the creator.

Cora wanted to prove himself to be the best man for the job, and he did that by forcing an ultimatum on Alexander Henry. He wanted to see if Henry was the type that would back down, or rise to the occasion. Cora took one look at the salary offer on the contract in front of him, and hid his feelings, positive or negative, like an expert poker player.

Cora - “Very well, Mr. Henry, I will consider your proposal. However...”

Henry - “I thought I told you to call me, Alex, Alex.”

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Cora - “No, that’s weird and confusing and will trip so many people up, I can’t do that. Anyways, I have a few conditions that must be met before I will accept this offer, because I’ll be honest, this offer is far less than what the Tigers are offering me. And I know you don’t want to lose me to the Tigers. I hear they brought back Dave Dombrowski as their President of Baseball Operations.”

Henry - “OK, Alex, what are your conditions?”

Cora - “First, I want to fire the entire coaching staff. Everyone, from Brian Butterfield to Gary DiSarcina, and I want to bring in my own coaching staff. It’s not that I believe the staff is weak, but if we’re going to win, I need guys on the exact same page as I am.”

Henry - “That is a fairly standard manager’s request. But not entirely unreasonable.”

Cora - “Second, I want a guarantee in my contract, that stipulates I cannot be fired after only one season. I have no concerns when it comes to finding work, and a year from now, more managerial openings will be available, but to accept this dream job, at a lower salary, I need the security. In fact, I want this guarantee to last the entirety of the contract in front of me. If you break this guarantee, I will become the sole, controlling owner of the Boston Red Sox.”

Henry - “That’s a little ridiculous and beyond what standard managers receive, but it’s something I can consider.”

Cora - “I have one final demand in my contract. I need you to put aside some money so I can bring in either Luke Gregerson or Francisco Liriano. This will obviously hurt your ability to sign a big name free agent without a corresponding move, but I need a friendly face in the clubhouse, to help me acclimate to the new culture. It helps I like Gregerson, and think we can buy low on him as a free agent, once we non-tender arms such as Robbie Ross, and let Addison Reed walk in free agency.”

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

Henry - “I’m new to this, I’m not sure if it’s commonplace for managers to basically handpick the roster, even if it’s just one guy.”

Cora - “Common or not, those are my terms, unless you significantly up the salary on offer, to level with Detroit’s offer. They offered three times what you did.”

This above poll will end on Tuesday, October 17th, at 11:00 PM ET.

I will only offer one hint for those playing, there are wrong choices. The game will continue, but every action will have a specific consequence. We might be a little silly, but you can “lose”, so to speak!

As I said at the top, please, let me know what you think of this current style.