Cora calls arbitration 'bad process' ahead of potential Duran hearing

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora isn't a fan of arbitration, with a possible showdown coming with All-Star outfielder Jarren Duran over $500,000.

"I have my feelings about arbitration. It's kind of like a bad process, to be honest with you, and it doesn't make sense," Cora said Saturday, according to MassLive's Christopher Smith.

The Red Sox and Duran could face an arbitration hearing because the team offered $3.5 million for 2025, while the 28-year-old countered at $4 million. Boston uses a file-and-trial approach, meaning negotiations ended following Thursday's deadline.

What makes a potential hearing even more harmful is that Duran has dealt with mental health issues over the previous few years. He wore an undershirt with the slogan "F*ck 'em" last season as a mantra of overcoming "mental demons."

"That's not my area," Cora said when asked if avoiding a hearing would be better with an emotional player like Duran.

He added: "You’ve gotta ask (chief baseball officer) Craig (Breslow), but I think we'll be OK. We'll be OK. Actually, I texted with Jarren yesterday. He's doing well. So, we'll see what happens in the upcoming weeks."

Duran recorded 21 homers, 34 stolen bases, and an .834 OPS while collecting an MLB-best 48 doubles and 14 triples during his 2024 breakout season en route to finishing eighth in AL MVP voting. He's arbitration-eligible through 2028.