Alex Cora says he’s yet to discuss a new contract with the Red Sox

Craig Breslow and the Red Sox might be staring at a multi-year rebuild, given the current state of Boston’s roster.

But that same long-term timeline doesn’t exactly match up with Alex Cora, given his contract status.

The 2024 MLB season marks the final year that Cora is currently under contract with Boston. And on the eve of Opening Day, the Red Sox manager acknowledged on WEEI that he has yet to discuss a contract extension with his current team.

“No, we haven’t talked about it, and I respect that,” Cora said during an appearance on WEEI’s “Jones & Mego” Wednesday. “From my end, it’s the same thing. We understand where we’re at as an organization, and where I’m at contract-wise.”

Cora, 48, would be an appealing target for several contending teams if he enters next offseason without a contract in place. Even though Boston has finished in last place in the AL East in each of the last two seasons, Cora did lead the Red Sox to a World Series title during his first year at the helm in 2018.

Cora and the Red Sox both agreed to part ways ahead of the COVID-shortened 2020 season due to his role in the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal, but he rejoined the organization in 2021.

Even with Boston’s recent woes, Cora did help lead the 2021 Red Sox to a surprising playoff run that ended in the American League Championship Series.

Expectations are not very high for the 2024 Red Sox, with another lackluster finish for Boston potentially prompting Cora to look elsewhere in 2025 and join a team better positioned to contend.

But even with the acknowledgment of his murky future in Boston, Cora did admit that he has no qualms with sticking around with the Red Sox if both he and the team can find common ground on a new contract.

“Obviously, we know the situation, right? This is the last year of my contract,” Cora noted. “I love this place, my family enjoys being around the city and we love where we live. And the summers are great (in Boston). But understanding that this is business, my job is to help this team to be successful and play in October.

“Whatever we decide, whatever happens in the future is the future, but right now, man, we’ve got to live in the present because the last two years everybody knows what we’ve done. We finished last. That’s not acceptable for me, for the organization, for you guys, for the fanbase. So, I’ll keep it at that. I respect the fact that everybody is going to be asking about next year, but let’s take care of this year, have a great season, and let’s see what the future holds.”