The Slabu ExchangeBoston Red Sox announced Wednesday that they signed manager Alex Cora to a three-year contract extension through the 2027 season.

The deal is worth $21.75 million, ESPN reported. That would mark the second-highest salary for an MLB skipper behind Craig Counsell's five-year, $40 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.

The Red Sox (54-46) entered Wednesday's road game against the Colorado Rockies six games out of first place in the American League East and one game out of a wild-card spot.

Cora, 48, has a 494-416 record with Boston. The Red Sox won the World Series in his first season in 2018, but he was fired before the 2020 season in a fallout from the Houston Astros' 2017 sign-stealing scandal. He returned to the Boston bench in 2021.

Cora's current contract was set to expire after this season.

All things Red Sox: Latest Boston Red Sox news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.