• Boston Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora and five coaches after a disappointing 11-17 start to the 2026 season. • Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow announced the move, citing the need for a "fresh start" to salvage the season. • Triple-A manager Chad Tracy has been named interim manager for the remainder of the season.
The Boston Red Sox on Saturday fired manager Alex Cora, who led the team to a World Series championship in 2018, after a disappointing 11-17 start to the season.
"We feel like these changes were warranted and were really excited for the chance for Chad (Tracy) to come in and be a consistent stabilizing voice and one that a majority of our player group is familiar with,” Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow said at a press conference. “The performance on the field is not what we expected. This is a decisive and convicted demonstration of the confidence we have in our player group.”
The move comes after the Red Sox lost 10-3 to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night, dropping them to last place in the American League East. Along with Cora, the Red Sox also fired 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. Former Red Sox captain Jason Varitek was reassigned to a different role in the organization.
The Red Sox have struggled offensively, ranking last in the majors in slugging percentage (.335) and 21st in runs scored (112). The starting rotation has also underperformed, with a 5.31 ERA, the 27th-worst in the league. The team has a top-10 payroll of $266 million.
The firing of Cora, a popular figure in Boston, has been met with surprise and anger from some fans, with chants of "SELL THE TEAM" heard at Fenway Park. The move also raises questions about the future direction of the franchise under the ownership of Fenway Sports Group and the leadership of Breslow, who is in his first year as Chief Baseball Officer.
Cora, for his part, sent a "reply all" email to the entire Red Sox organization with the message: "The Cora’s will be OK," followed by a winking face emoji. He also reposted a clip on social media of his former player Mookie Betts praising him.
The Red Sox have named Triple-A manager Chad Tracy as interim manager. The team will look to turn their season around, with 135 games remaining. The next major event for the team will be the MLB trade deadline on July 31, which will be a key test of Breslow's strategy for the team.
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