Chaim Bloom Comments Make Potential Alex Cora Red Sox Return Seem Unlikely

Alex Cora wasn't exactly exonerated by Rob Manfred's investigation into the 2018 Boston Red Sox, but he won't have to serve additional punishment as a result of it.

Such a decision theoretically opened up the opportunity for Cora to return to Boston's ranks for the 2021 season, should the Red Sox choose to pursue him. However, Chaim Bloom appears to think differently.

Chaim Bloom on whether Alex Cora could return at some point to manage the Red Sox: "All the reasons we parted ways with him then are still the case." Said it had to do with his actions in Houston, not Boston.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) April 22, 2020

Bloom, who arrived in Boston this past offseason, has some sense of moral high ground that others in the Sox organization seem to be lacking. The former Rays GM's comments make it crystal clear that Cora was fired primarily for his transgressions as Astros bench coach in 2017, of which he was not cleared. If anything, the Red Sox sign-stealing report merely backed up Cora's wrongdoings during his time in Houston.

BREAKING: #RedSox penalties:

*Loss of 2020 2nd-round pick.

*Ban of replay operator J.T. Watkins through 2020 playoffs and from doing same job in ‘21.

*Ban of Alex Cora through ‘20 playoffs, but only for conduct with #Astros.

Story with @EvanDrellich: https://t.co/6Ysn9hsRFa
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) April 22, 2020

It's fair to assume Cora will manage again in MLB, and perhaps relatively soon. However, there now seems little chance that will happen in Boston.

Bloom and Co. would prefer to wash their hands of this entire scandal, and we can't say we blame them.