CORA’S HIRING REPORTED BUT SOX WON’T CONFIRM

The silence from the Red Sox was deafening yesterday, even as multiple reports surfaced that Houston bench coach Alex Cora has been offered the vacant manager’s job.

Those reports — which included one from The Atlantic reporting Cora will receive a three-year deal — said the decision would be announced after the Astros’ postseason run.

Houston’s Game 7 victory over the Yankees last night means that’s at least another week away. The Dodgers host the Astros for Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday night.

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski did not respond for comment prior to last night’s game — unusual for him.

The belief has been Cora is the choice for most of the week, particularly after Detroit announced Arizona bench coach Ron Gardenhire as its new manager on Friday.

The longtime Minnesota Twins manager was the third known candidate to interview for John Farrell’s former post after Cora, whom the Red Sox met with in New York last Sunday, and Brad Ausmus, whom Dombrowski hired to manage the Tigers prior to the 2014 season.

Cora, who turned 42 on Wednesday, reportedly interviewed for the Mets’ and Tigers’ openings, and Dusty Baker’s firing in Washington led some to think the Nationals might make a run at a man who finished his 14-year playing career with the Nats in 2011.

There were conflicting reports about the Nationals’ interest yesterday. Given Baker led the Nationals to a pair of NL East titles in his two years at the helm and was thought to be making a below-average salary, the opportunity doesn’t appear more enticing than the Red Sox.

On Thursday, Dombrowski told the Herald no final decisions had been made and the interview process was ongoing.