Red Sox Fire Alex Cora in Major Shake-Up After Sluggish Start
The Boston Red Sox's disastrous start to the 2026 MLB season was too much for the front office to deal with.
On Saturday, the Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora along with five other coaches. The other coaches to be let go are hitting coach Peter Fatse, third base coach Kyle Hudson, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson, hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin and game planning and run prevention coach Jason Varitek (although he was assigned to another role in the organization).
Chad Tracy has been named the interim manager for Boston, and it comes after a rough start to the season.
A Statement from the Boston Red Sox: pic.twitter.com/7NXev6jpqe
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 25, 2026
The Red Sox defeated the Baltimore Orioles 17-1 on Saturday, but they still fired Cora and others as they try and reignite some energy into the team after a 10-17 start.
Cora signed a three-year, $21.75 million contract extension in 2024, and it was going to expire after 2027, but the Red Sox have decided to shake things up now after a horrid first month of the season.
Cora led Boston to a 108-win season and the World Series title in his first season in 2018, but the Red Sox missed the playoffs three straight years before making a return in 2025.
Who Do the Red Sox Hire Next?
Firing a manager in April is certainly a surprise, especially somebody such as Cora, who won a World Series not even a decade ago.
However, Boston clearly felt it needed a change.
Tracy, who is now the interim, has been the manager at Triple-A Worcester since 2022, and he makes sense for the full-time job depending on how things go.
Some other options include Rocco Baldelli, the former Minnesota Twins manager, and Ryan Flaherty, who interviewed for the San Diego Padres job.
Former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is another interesting name, although it remains to be seen what Boston is looking for in their next manager.
Nonetheless, the disappointing start has been frustrating, and the Red Sox clearly felt it was time to move on from Cora. Only time will tell if it was the right decision or not.
Related: Red Sox Power Outage: Why Boston's Slugging Has Vanished
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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 10:50 PM.