The Boston Red Sox have seen enough.
After a 10-17 start to the season, the club fired manager Alex Cora and five other members of the coaching staff, it announced Saturday. Chad Tracy, manager of the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, will take over as interim manager.
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The other five coaches to be shown the door: hitting coach Peter Fatse, third base coach Kyle Hudson, bench coach Ramón Vázquez, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson and major league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin.
Game planning and run prevention coach Jason Varitek was also reportedly relieved of his duties but has been reassigned to a new role within the organization, which is likely a reflection of his standing as a former Red Sox captain and two-time World Series champ as a player.
Red Sox owner John Henry praised Cora in a statement:
“Alex Cora led this organization to one of the greatest seasons in Red Sox history in 2018, and for that, and the many years that followed, he will always have our deepest gratitude,” said Red Sox principal owner John Henry. “He has had a lasting impact on this team and on this city. He has led on and off the field in so many important ways. These decisions are never easy, but this one is especially difficult given what Alex has meant to the Red Sox since the day he arrived.
“I want to thank Alex, our coaches, and their families for everything they have given to this organization. They have been part of this club in a way that goes beyond the field, and they will always have our respect and gratitude.”
Cora was partway through his eighth season in charge of the Red Sox, split into two different stints. He had been in the second year of a three-year, $21.75 million extension, of which he is still reportedly owed $13.54 million.
Alex Cora’s second tenure with the Boston Red Sox is over.
(Boston Globe via Getty Images)
The 2026 Red Sox have been one of MLB’s many disappointing teams
The Red Sox entered this season with World Series aspirations, but the wheels came off quickly, with losses in eight of their first 10 games. Even with a lopsided 17-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, they still sit in last place in the AL East at 10-17 and 7.5 games back from the first-place New York Yankees.
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There have definitely been worse teams in MLB this season, but what has particularly sunk Boston is underperformance from their most important players.
Ace Garrett Crochet has a 7.88 ERA through five starts. Brayan Bello has a 9.00 ERA through five starts. Roman Anthony has a .686 OPS and is currently dealing with a back injury after an outstanding rookie campaign. Trevor Story, Marcelo Mayer, Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran all have even worse marks.
All of that wound up being too much for Cora et al to survive. Even with a World Series title on Cora’s ledger.
Alex Cora has had quite a history with the Red Sox
Saturday’s decision ends Cora’s second tenure in Boston.
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His first tenure lasted only two years, but saw him win the 2018 World Series as a rookie manager. That 2018 team remains one of the best in recent MLB history, with a 108-54 record in the regular season and only three losses total in the playoffs, which included a five-game win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Fall Classic.
By the end of the next season, Cora seemed entrenched as one of MLB’s top managers and even signed an extension. Then came the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal.
It turned out Cora was one of the central figures in the 2017 Astros’ illegal sign-stealing scheme, having previously served as bench coach in Houston. He was one of three men suspended a full season by MLB in the aftermath, along with Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch. There was also Boston’s own sign-stealing scandal from that 2018 team, which led to far fewer consequences.
The Red Sox opted to fire Cora after the suspension hit, but then rehired him after the 2020 season.
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His first year back went well enough, winning 92 games and falling to the Astros in the 2021 ALCS, but Boston hasn’t won a playoff series or finished higher than third in the AL East since then. They did make the playoffs last year, but a three-game loss to the New York Yankees might have hurt worse than not making it at all.
What’s going on with the Red Sox?
There’s no denying something is off with the Red Sox these days, and it’s probably not just because of Cora. They have more World Series titles than any MLB team in the 21st century, but the act of firing a manager and half the coaching staff in late April screams of a team that had no idea what to make of itself entering 2026.
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And that’s saying nothing about what happened with Rafael Devers last year.
If the Red Sox thought Cora was the right guy to lead a contender, as he’s done in the past, 27 games is a very quick trigger. If they weren’t confident and this start only confirmed their worries, it’s a wonder why they kept him at all.
There are still five months left in the season, and it’s certainly possible Tracy engineers a turnaround. However, an organization-wide lame duck year also feels just as possible.
