4:19pm: Cora would get $800K in the Major Leagues, the Associated Press reports (via ESPN.com).
12:00pm: The Cardinals agreed to a minor league deal with a spring training invite with infielder Alex Cora, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. On Saturday, MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reported a deal was close.
Cora will compete for a utility infield role, writes Goold. The 36-year-old Scott Boras client hit .224/.287/.276 in 172 plate appearances for the Nationals last year, spending most of his time in the field on the left side of the infield.
I wonder if Roy Oswalt is a little angry the Cardinals signed Cora over him, lol.
Yeah they had to choose between giving a reserve infielder a 1 mil contract or giving a legit starting pitcher a 10 mil contract. They could not do both, it was one or the other.
1 MM is too much for Cora
Knee-jerk reaction is to bash this signing; however, it’s only a minor league deal, and Punto was an unexpected contributor last year so maybe a similar future awaits this signing.
But the most likely outcome is that Cora gets no PT with the big league club unless Furcal, Descalso, and Greene all are hurt at the same time.
This officially makes the red birds the best team in all of baseball!
Go Red Birds!!
Cora could be a great coach one day but he was useless 3 years ago i doubt he has anything left in the tank. But its only a minor league deal so no harm here
he’s just insurance in case the team bus crashes next month.
Alex Cora is good…on MLB ’99. And yes, that’s the one with Ripken on the cover.
somethings are not news. This is one of them.
A clear violation of the posting policies! Citizens arrest! Citizens arrest!
Kind of agree, but other teams make theses types of signings also. And they all make the news also. Nothing new that all teams make moves like this. Cora seems like a Nick Punto type, except lower career ba … Alex Cora’s is 243 for his career and Nick Punto’s is 249 for his career. and both aren’t known for their hitting, both are better known as being good defense replacements, and at times starting. Cora will soon be a coach though, which I think all Cora wants before he retires is another WS ring, even though he has one from the 2007 Boston Red Sox. Ankiel made the news when he re-signed to a minor league contract with the Nats, same with Livan Hernandez when he went to the Astros. And I’m also pretty sure there have been others this season. The Cardinals even have the one guy in camp former Giants and Dodger player, who went hitless last season, and he even made the news when the Cardinals signed him to a minor league deal. Which, if the Cardinals were going to look at both of them to see who should be on the roster …. I’d pick Cora over him. Atleast Cora can hit at times.
I think this invite probably has more to do with getting their foot in the door on the coaching career that everyone knows is a foregone conclusion with Cora.
Cora is better than Lugo.. Then would be hard pressed to think of another retread type he is better than on a deal like this.
Always loved Cora when he was with Boston. Maybe after this season he could come back as a coach? 😀 I’d love to see him and Varitek both on the coaching staff xD
I believe this is an insurance signing and he’s a longshot to break camp with the big-league team.
TLR loved him some veterans and would prefer them over unproven rookies in many instances, and if he were still manager, I’d think Cora had a better chance, but unless an injury occurs in the middle infield early on, Furcal, Descalso and Greene all offer much more upside than Alex Cora.
I’m a bit amazed that he’s managed to hang on for as long as he has. He looked like he was toast when he left Boston. I’ve heard he’s a good clubhouse guy, but he must be great.