After a disappointing start to the 2026 season, the Red Sox are making a stunning move and firing manager Alex Cora.
Boston has started the year 10-17 and sits at the bottom of the AL East. The team announced the decision after Saturday’s 17-1 win over the Orioles.
“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 owner John Henry, who also owns the Globe. “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.”
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Along with Cora, the Sox also fired five members of his coaching staff, including hitting coach Peter Fatse, third base coach Kyle Hudson, and bench coach Ramón Vázquez. Game planning and run prevention coach Jason Varitek will be reassigned elsewhere in the organization.
Worcester Red Sox manager Chad Tracy will take over the big-league club on an interim basis.
Cora was in the midst of his of his eighth season as Red Sox manager, a run that began with a World Series title in 2018. Boston made the postseason just twice over the next seven seasons, with an ALCS defeat to the Astros in 2021 and a wild-card loss to the Yankees in 2025.
Cora did not manage the team in 2020 as he and the team mutually agreed to part ways in the aftermath of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, in which Cora was heavily implicated. He returned as manager at the start of the 2021 season.
With a final record of 619-541, Cora leaves the franchise as the third-winningest manager in Sox history behind Terry Francona and Joe Cronin.
Cora was under contract through 2027 after signing a three-year contract extension in 2024.
Amin Touri can be reached at [email protected].
