We are really being too lenient on Cora - I blame it on political correctness. Nobody wants to be seen as criticizing a former World Series winning coach. However he has grossly mismanaged the team the past few months, giving players time off and using guys in unfamiliar bullpen roles just because the team had a decent lead in the standings. Their record aside, he is clearly in over his head and maybe Dombrowski can convince sign one of the guys mentioned upthread to serve as the adult on the bench for the playoffs or have LaRussa join the team in a similar capacity.
Stat nerds may love Cora and his analytics-friendly approach but baseball is a game won on the field, non in spreadsheets. Managers like LaRussa, Showalter, Scioscia and the like have been around and know this. Their rigorous approach to playing time and bullpen usage prove out in the playoffs year after year. Meanwhile, Cora got lucky with the Astros and sailed into his job where he has been a scratch manager at best. They may not win one game more under him as Red Sox manager...