FORT MYERS, Fla. – With the signing official, Alex Cora was at last able to directly address Alex Bregman joining the Red Sox.

That didn’t mean he had all the answers, though.

The manager discussed what Bregman brings to the team, but repeatedly stayed away from making specific declarations about roster construction. Those questions will answer themselves as spring training goes on, by Bregman and his new teammates.

Cora was, however, prepared to say that he’s confident Bregman improves the Red Sox in all manner of ways.

“He’s a good player. He’s a better teammate,” Cora said. “He’s going to help a lot of people in this organization.”

Hunt for Red (Sox) October

There’s Bregman’s track record: playing in each of the last eight postseasons, tied for the longest active streak in the majors.

“All he knows is October,” Cora said. “He’s been successful playing in October.”

The Red Sox have not in recent years. They’ve missed five of the last six postseasons. Their lone run during that span was ended by none other than Bregman and the Astros in the ‘21 ALCS.

Rat race

Cora and Trevor Story both describe Bregman as a “baseball rat” who will be a fount of knowledge for the rest of the clubhouse.

“He’s going to challenge people with their baseball IQ, he’s going to ask questions about pitching, and defense, and offense, base-running,” Cora said. “It’s refreshing to have a guy like that in the clubhouse.”

“It’s not only the execution of the plan, it’s what happens in the clubhouse, watching video, the communication factor, he’s ahead of the game, no doubt,” Cora said. “Had dinner with him and Trevor (Story) last night and could’ve been in the restaurant for five hours talking baseball. And that’s what it’s all about.”

Already on Day 1, Bregman was immersing himself in the goings-on of the organization and getting a look at some of the younger players and top prospects.

“He made a point of staying there in Field 3 to see (Kristian Campbell) and Marcelo (Mayer) and (Nick Sogard) take grounders,” Cora said. “He already had pointers about Campbell. I’m like, ‘Take it easy, kid.’ ”

Crowded corner

Bregman, a career third baseman who won the AL Gold Glove at the hot corner last year, will spend time at multiple positions before Opening Day.

“We’ll talk about that later on,” Cora said. “Right now there’s a lot of stuff going on as far as like, where we’re gonna be roster-wise, and we’ll make the decision when we have to.”

Bregman put in some work at second base on Saturday, practicing double plays. It’s the position the Red Sox initially drafted him to play when they selected him out of high school in 2012 and he opted to honor his commitment to LSU. He’s spent the vast majority of his big-league career at third, though: 995 of his 1,111 career regular-season games. His 129 appearances at shortstop and nine at second were all before 2020.

“He has quick hands, good footwork, he’s done it before,” Cora said of second base. “I know it was just a few games but if you look at the highlights or whatever, he’s very clean. He’s a good infielder. He uses his feet the right way, he has good hands, the arm plays, so he’ll be OK.”

There are pros and cons to using Bregman at either base, for him and for the other infielders.

“(Bregman’s) a Gold Glove third baseman. He hasn’t played second base in the big leagues, I do believe he can be a Gold Glove second baseman, too,” said Cora. “There’s other stuff that comes into play as far as like, roster construction and what’s better for the team, and what can be the best lineup.”

Forever and Devers?

It’s unclear what Bregman’s arrival means for franchise cornerstone Rafael Devers. They’ve long played the same position, but while Bregman is a Gold Glove defender at third, his limited experience at other positions still eclipses Devers’. They’re both considered team leaders in their own ways; Bregman a more vocal type, Devers preferring to lead by example.

Yet both players are stars, and when stars collide, there are two outcomes: some combine to become one greater star, others explode and form a black hole.

Devers is signed to the longest, richest contract in franchise history, breaking the previous record by over $100 million. He’s also the last vestige of Boston’s most recent World Series squad, the only one who knows what it takes to be a Red Sox champion.

Yet Bregman’s arrival carries significant weight, too; in making him the second player in AL history to receive an average annual value of $40 million and putting the payroll over the luxury tax threshold for the first time since 2022, the Red Sox signaled that they’re serious about getting back on top.

Cora played off concerns about the two players sharing the spotlight.

“We talked, and (Devers is) happy that he’s here. He understands that offensively we took it to the next level, having those three guys on top of the lineup is gonna be good,” Cora said. “He’s a different at-bat, and everybody’s gonna benefit from that at-bat.”

“Raffy is still a guy down there in that clubhouse,” Cora added. “Raffy wants to get better, he wanted the organization to be better, the team to be better, and if you compare us today to how we finished last year, we’re a lot better.”

Opening Day

One thing Cora could say for certain is that as long as Bregman is healthy, he’ll be in the starting nine when things get real. At one position or another.

“There’s other stuff that comes into play,” he said. “Roster construction and what’s better for the team, and what can be the best lineup, and competition comes into play.

“He’ll play in Texas. I guarantee you that he’ll be in the lineup.”

Thus begins the Alex Bregman Era.