The Boston Red Sox took an unexpected step forward last season. Alex Bregman was a bit part of that resurgence. Unfortunately for Red Sox fans, Bregman opted for free agency, signing with the Chicago Cubs.

It will obviously not be easy to replace his production at the plate or on the field. But he provided even more, as a vocal and emotional leader in the clubhouse.

On Friday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was asked who could replace Bregman's leadership. He had two players in mind and didn't think twice about it.

“Crochet and Trevor Story, those two,” Cora said on Foul Territory.

“What Trevor did last year, he played 154 games. So, that says a lot about the way he goes about it. He's not a vocal leader. He's not going to get into people's faces. But he will show up, prepare, and play hard.”

Following three lackluster, injury-plagued seasons in Boston, Story finally put together a strong season. He hit .263 with 25 home runs, 96 RBIs, and 91 runs scored.

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But even another strong season from Story is not enough to replace Bregman's production.

Boston traded for Caleb Durbin to man the hot corner. Durbin, in his rookie season last year with the Milwaukee Brewers, showed some promise. The lineup was also filled out with the acquisition of Willson Contreras.

Of course, getting Roman Anthony back from injury will be the biggest boost.

But Cora also referenced Garrett Crochet's importance.

“Then you get [Garrett] Crochet every five days. That is something good teams have… Having Crochet every five days, that's a leader right there. It's like Randy Johnson back in the day, Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez. Every five days,  you know you have that guy that will either extend the winning streak or stop the losing streak.”

Despite having a strong roster, the Red Sox have their hands full in a stacked American League East.