Boston Red Sox Manager Alex Cora agrees with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred that he’d like to see a deadline for signing free agents.

“We need news,” Cora said, speaking about the subject at the team’s spring training site. “The offseason was boring for the business, for the game. There’s a lot of good players out there. They should be getting ready for this season. Obviously, that’s a big subject with the commissioner and the players association, but from my end, more action is a lot better.”

Manfred brought up the subject of a deadline for free-agent signings earlier this week.

“We would prefer to have a free-agent signing period, ideally probably in December with a deadline that drove people to make their deals, get things settled. We actually made proposals to that effect, to the MLBPA. They were not warmly received,” Manfred said, referring to a mid-agreement proposal in 2019.

There are some big names currently unsigned. Pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are looking for a team, and Cody Bellinger and DH J.D. Martinez are some of the dozens still out there in free agency.

Cora knows the players association is against a deadline, but believes it would be better to generate excitement for the game.

“I used to be in the union. I understand their point, but we need something,” he said. “No news is not good for the business. As a baseball fan, I do believe the best deadline was 2021 because we had the lockout. The last two hours of that day was crazy. That’s where Texas made their money. They won a World Series because they got two big guys over there. They did a good job.”

MLB locked out the players in December 2020 and a labor agreement wasn’t reached until early March 2021, forcing a flurry of free agent signings in a few days.

That spring the Rangers signed free-agent shortstop Corey Seager ($325 million, 10 years) and second baseman Marcus Semien ($175 million, 7 years).

They went on to win the first World Series in franchise history last fall.

PADRES: Xander Bogaerts is moving to second base to clear the way for 2023 Gold Glove utilityman Ha-Seong Kim to take over as San Diego’s shortstop.

This move comes one year after the Padres signed Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million contract. Bogaerts, who spent 10 seasons with the Boston Red Sox before joining the Padres, has been a shortstop throughout his career.

“I can’t say it’s like etched in stone, 100%, we’re going to let him do it, but we’re going to see what it looks like,” Padres Manager Mike Shildt told reporters Friday. “We’re going to evaluate it. He’s all-in right now to go over, give it his full due.”

Bogaerts told reporters he was comfortable with the plan to switch.

“I was like, ‘Listen, man, if this is the way that you guys view the team is better,’ ” Bogaerts said. “I respect Kim, especially defensively. I actually admire him a lot.”

Bogaerts, 31, has never played second base during a professional career that started in 2011. The four-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion has made 1,325 big league starts at shortstop and 50 at third base.

RULES: Ronald Acuña Jr. and Corbin Carroll just got a little more dangerous. Same for Bobby Witt Jr., Elly De La Cruz and the rest of baseball’s fastest players.

Major League Baseball wants umpires to crack down on obstruction, and the commissioner’s office outlined plans during a call with managers this week. MLB staff also will meet managers in person during spring training to go over enforcement.

The increased emphasis is only on the bases and not at home plate. The focus is on infielders who drop a knee or leg down in front of a bag while receiving a throw, acting as a deterrence for aggressive baserunning and creating an increased risk of injuries.

RANGERS: Third baseman Josh Jung will have an MRI after experiencing left calf discomfort while fielding ground balls, the team said.

It’s a tough blow for Jung, who has been hampered by injuries since he was selected by Texas with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 amateur draft.

He was in the middle of a breakout rookie season last year when he broke his left thumb on a fielding play against Miami on Aug. 6. He hit .274 with 22 homers and 67 RBI before the injury, and then batted .196 with a homer and three RBI in 13 games after he came back.

Jung, who turned 26 on Monday, rebounded in the playoffs, hitting .308 (20 for 65) with three homers and eight RBI as Texas won the World Series.

PHILLIES: Philadelphia reached a contract agreement with utility infielder Whit Merrifield, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

The agreement is for an $8 million, one-year deal that includes a $8 million club option for 2025 with a $1 million buyout, a second person told the AP.