Red Sox: Breslow, Tracy Say No Analytics Mandate; Cora Passes on Phillies
Nana Dot pours the tea and sorts through the two Red Sox headlines of the week, one about analytics and one about Alex Cora.
Now listen, sweetheart, pull up a chair. It's a quiet couple of days, so there are only two items worth your time. The tea's still hot, so we'll take them one at a time.
Breslow and Tracy on the numbers
First, the one that got my pencil moving. Per ESPN, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and manager Chad Tracy were adamant that the Red Sox have no franchise-wide directive on how analytics get used, on the field or off it.
Now, I'm not mad, I'm just saying: I've been suspicious of the new-fangled stuff for a long time. I know what OBP is, thank you very much, and I'll tell you it's a fine number. But a computer can't tell you whether a fella can lay down a bunt or move a runner over. So hearing the two men in charge say nobody upstairs is handing down one rule for everything makes this old scorekeeper feel a little better.
Here's the catch, though, and it's only my opinion. Saying there's no directive is easy. What matters is what the lineup card looks like and how the club plays when the game is tight. If it's pitching, defense, and moving runners, I'll take it. If it's a pile of strikeouts and solo home runs, I'll have the radio on in the kitchen and a few things to say to it.
Cora says no to Philadelphia, again
The other item is about Alex Cora. USA Today Sports reports, per ESPN, that he has once again declined the chance to manage the Phillies. He told the club he plans to take the 2027 season off.
That's the whole of it as far as the reporting goes, and I won't dress it up. Turning down the same job twice and planning a year away from the dugout tells me he wants a breather, but that's me guessing over a teacup. Only he knows his reasons, and nothing in the report says why.
What I'll be watching
Two items, two big questions. How do Breslow's and Tracy's words show up in the way this club plays? And what does a year off look like for a man who keeps getting asked? I'll keep my pencil sharp and my pot full.
Now drink your tea, it's getting cold.
