Alex Cora Opens Up About Alex Bregman’s Shocking Departure From Red Sox originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

For most of the offseason, many Boston Red Sox members, fans and reporters all expected Alex Bregman to re-sign with them in free agency after opting out of his contract.

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That made the news extra shocking in January when Bregman signed with the Chicago Cubs instead, leaving the Red Sox organization and fan base stunned.

That included Boston manager Alex Cora, who opened up about Bregman’s departure on Friday’s episode of “Foul Territory.”

“I think this time around, Scott did a good job with Alex, coaching him through the process. At one point, the communication was off, and not in a bad way,” Cora said. “I think it was more business. Alex needed to do what was best for Scott Boras and for Alex.”

While Bregman had expressed interest in returning to the Red Sox, he received a higher offer from the Cubs and took it.

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Cora has known Bregman for a decade going back to their time with the Houston Astros together. He also knows baseball is a business and didn’t take Bregman’s exit personally.

“Our relationship is great. We stayed in touch a little bit through the offseason. At one point we didn’t talk because of that,” Cora said.

That said, Cora admitted he was still blindsided by Bregman’s decision.

“That Saturday in Boston, it was a tough one. I thought he was gonna come back…I was like, okay, this is gonna happen,” Cora said. “And we were in a bowling event as a team because it was Fan Fest, and all of the sudden everything came out and everybody left the building.”

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Two months have passed since then, however, and Cora seems to have gotten over it. He’s turned the page and is looking forward to the 2026 season with his exciting team, even if it no longer includes Bregman.

More MLB: Alex Cora Explains Why Red Sox Infielder’s Surgery Is The ‘Best Case Scenario’