BOSTON – The Red Sox interviewed a reported nine candidates in their search for a new manager. Boston wound up welcoming back a familiar face during a Tuesday press conference on the field at Fenway Park. Alex Cora was reintroduced after finishing his season-long suspension for electronic sign-stealing as the bench coach with the Astros in 2017.

The Boston Red Sox must either re-sign free agent center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. or find his replacement this winter. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom doesn’t necessarily need to target center fielders exclusively if he decides to replace Bradley. Bloom could sign or trade for a corner outfielder, then move either right fielder Alex Verdugo or left fielder Andrew Benintendi to center field.

Alex Cora, back with the Boston Red Sox after a one-season suspension, apologized Tuesday for the role he played in cheating while a coach for the Houston Astros. Before leading the Red Sox to the 2018 World Series title, Cora, 45, played a key role as bench coach of the eventual World Series champions 2017 Houston Astros in their illegal sign-stealing scheme, according to Major League Baseball. At a news conference Tuesday, Cora said he wasn’t proud of himself.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom shared his thought process Friday about the team bringing back Alex Cora.

The Blue Jays would like to add a center fielder this offseason and Jackie Bradley Jr. and George Springer are on their list of potential targets, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman said on the podcast, Big Time Baseball. My understanding is that they will be looking at center field," Heyman said. "The Blue Jays are going to look to get a center fielder.

Boston set a new franchise worst with a 5.58 earned-run average in 2020. The top 11 teams in that category reached October, and two of them — the Dodgers (first) and Rays (third) — met in the World Series. Chris Sale (left elbow) won’t be ready for spring training and Eduardo Rodriguez (myocarditis/COVID-19) isn’t certain to match his 2019 breakout.

Lowrie ended up signing a two-year, $20 million deal with the Mets and hardly got on the field, while LeMahieu went to the Yankees for two years and $24 million and blossomed into one of the game’s premier hitters. The Yankees’ pursuit of LeMahieu out of Colorado surprised some, since they had Gleyber Torres at second base, but it turned out to be exactly what the Yankees needed. If they want to keep him in The Bronx, the Yankees will almost certainly face tougher competition this time around.

Alex Cora is a logical choice to return to his old Red Sox manager role, but Sam Fuld reportedly is presenting some stiff competition.

Andrew Benintendi has gone from a Rookie of the Year candidate to a mediocre outfielder in just a couple of years, but will the Sox move on from him or hope he rebounds? John Tomase examines what's next for the 26-year-old.

RED SOX NOTEBOOK First-rounder Christian Arroyo finally getting his consistent MLB chance Christian Arroyo was the San Francisco Giants' first-round pick back in 2013, making his debut with the club in 2017. More than three years later, the 25-year-old is trying to prove he belongs in the big leagues. The last couple of years have kind of been injury-riddled,” Arroyo said before Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Trade rumors involving Boston Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez continue to swirl ahead of Monday’s deadline. The Red Sox are doing background on Mets minor leaguers, an indication that the Mets might be interested in catcher Christian Vazquez,” The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Sunday. The Red Sox are asking for a “crazy” return for Vazquez, Boston Sports Journal’s Sean McAdam reported Saturday.

A day like today where everybody puts it together, that’s what it looks like. That’s what it can look like. Meanwhile, Devers’ 4 for 4 day didn’t have any cheapies.

I would say so,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said about whether trade talks decreased. Especially given where we are in the baseball calendar and how close we are to the trade deadline. And that was the point, quite frankly.

The Tampa Bay Rays have interested in Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez, according to The Athletic’s Eno Sarris and Brittany Ghiroli. With early discussions centering around Tampa’s pitching prospects,” Sarris and Ghiroli wrote. Vazquez said earlier this week he does not want the Red Sox to trade him.

Rowdy Tellez drove in four runs, and the Blue Jays bullpen provided Toronto's injury depleted group of starters a much needed rest. ''We, as a Blue Jays organization, are very multicultural and we support everything that's going on. The Red Sox weren't aware of NBA and MLB teams protesting until shortly before they hit the field for stretches.

Rafael Devers hit a three-run triple to highlight Boston's six-run outburst in the sixth inning as the Red Sox rallied to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-7 on Tuesday night. Devers, who snapped an 0-for-10 streak with a single in the second inning, hit a full-count slider from A.J. Cole, giving Boston an 8-6 edge. Devers later scored on a sacrifice fly by J.D. Martinez as Boston recorded its sixth comeback win of the season.

Nathan Eovaldi was supposed to start Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays. But the Boston Red Sox starter will have to wait a few more days to take the mound. Ron Roenicke announced Tuesday the right-hander will be pushed to Saturday’s game against the Washington Nationals due to a calf cramp.

Christian Vazquez has played for only one organization in his professional baseball career. He hopes it stays that way forever. The Red Sox catcher acknowledged Tuesday he’s heard some of the rumors surrounding Boston with the Major League Baseball trade deadline coming up next Monday.

First pitch is at 6:37 PM ET, which is a wonderful start time in my humble opinion. Last Night Off How to Watch You can watch locally on NESN as well as on the new cord-cutters app FuboTV, which does carry NESN for those in the local market. How to Listen WEEI 93.7 AM has the call.

A reunion between the Red Sox and utility man Brock Holt ‘seems unlikely,’ according to a report from Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Holt was designated for assignment by the Brewers over the weekend. A reunion with the Red Sox seems unlikely for the incredibly popular utility man,” Speier wrote.