Red Sox Should Re-Hire Alex Cora for 2021 Season After Controversy Dies Down

While the Boston Red Sox did not make much noise in free agency this offseason, they remained a part of the headlines constantly.

Not only did the Red Sox formulate buzz by trading away their star outfielder Mookie Betts, but they also made the decision to fire their World Series winning manager in Alex Cora due to the cheating allegations levied against the Red Sox in the wake of their 2018 World Series campaign.

Boston's manager is currently of the interim variety, so forgive us for being uncouth, but...the best option for a permanent replacement is for the Sox to wait until the heat dies down and just re-hire the man who led them to glory in 2018.

By the 2021 season, almost nobody will be talking about Cora's controversy.

Mike Lowell would manage Red Sox if it meant bridge to Alex Cora return https://t.co/UFenDNj4gp pic.twitter.com/3ogBgZHUHN
— WEEI (@WEEI) January 18, 2020

Presuming Cora isn't banned from the game for his actions, Boston could easily let the wave of hatred quiet down and reinstall their leader, whose '18 players maintain didn't do anything noteworthy wrong while wearing a Red Sox uniform.

Rob Manfred has announced that MLB is finally done with their investigation of the Red Sox in 2018. This investigation went on for months, and now it just seems a matter of time before a punishment, if any, is announced.

Rob Manfred on ESPN, re: Red Sox: "We are done with the investigation. There’s been a delay in terms of producing a written report just because I frankly have not had time to turn to it. ... We will get a Boston report out before we resume play."
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) March 26, 2020

Even if the Red Sox do receive a punishment, it will be comparatively light, as the Houston Astros innovated a much more elaborate scheme during their infamous 2017 scandal. Of course, the league has more pressing concerns right now, and they're dealing with a total stoppage of play, but we can't imagine Cora is about to be hit with a lifetime ban, considering the importance of the whole investigation is now on the backburner.

Yankee fans and Boston haters alike will probably have their chirps against Alex Cora for the test of time, but is that enough to turn away the World Series winning manager?

Cora developed good chemistry in the clubhouse quickly and led one of the most successful teams in Boston history. After this controversy has died down, the Sox should seriously consider a reunion with their former skipper.