DD supported Cora by giving him the team that he wants. Whether this is a good or bad move is on Cora. No one liked Hanley's contract, but I am far from confident that this move will make the team better.
There is a long lore of baseball players playing drunk, hungover and high -- of all races and ethnicities. The first story of that kind that I heard involved Mickey Mantle and the story was told by Joe Pepitone who got him stoned on weed.
You are right. He should have said that he has been looking forward to the day when he could unburden himself from the budget choking contracts done by Benny the Boob.