Whatever Alex Cora did to help the Astros illegally steal signs in 2017, he apparently left it in Houston. There has been speculation that Cora may have implemented some of the same tactics when he became the manager of the Boston Red Sox the following season, but J.D. Martinez insists that could not be further from the truth.
In an appearance on the “Ordway, Merloni and Fauria” show on WEEI Thursday, Martinez enthusiastically defended his former manager. The slugger said Cora never spoke with Red Sox players about what went on with the Astros or pressured any of them to do anything illegal. Martinez even said he would be willing to submit to a polygraph if anyone thinks he’s covering for Cora.
.@JDMartinez28: "You can put me on any lie detector … Alex Cora never influenced us or never told us about that [the Astros cheating scheme]."#RedSox @GlennDOrdway@LouMerloni@christianfauria
— OMF (@OMFonWEEI) February 20, 2020
Cora was painted as one of the masterminds behind the sign-stealing operation in Houston, but Major League Baseball is holding off on disciplining him until an investigation into similar allegations against the Red Sox is complete. The Red Sox have been accused of illegally using their video replay room to help steal signs, but numerous reports have indicated the sign stealing wasn’t nearly as egregious as it was in Houston.
Multiple Red Sox players have expressed confidence that the team will be proven innocent when MLB concludes its investigation. You would have to think that confidence is coming from somewhere.
