Red Sox fire manager Alex Cora after poor start to 2026 season

The Boston Red Sox have fired manager Alex Cora and six staff members. This comes after the team's 10-17 start to the 2026 season.
By Newsroom | Sports, Baseball |

SEVEN AND A HALF SEASONS END AS CLUB PLUNGES TO AL EAST BASEMENT

The Boston Red Sox have severed ties with manager Alex Cora, ushering in a sweeping overhaul of the club's coaching hierarchy. The decision, announced Saturday evening, follows a dispiriting 10-17 start to the 2026 campaign, leaving the team languishing in last place within the American League East.

The team's precipitous decline, marked by underperformance across multiple facets of the game, appears to have triggered this decisive, and for some, surprising, managerial dismissal.

Included in the exodus are five key members of Cora's major league staff: bench coach Ramón Vázquez, hitting coach Pete Fatse, third-base coach Kyle Hudson, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson, and major league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin. Game-planning and run-prevention coach Jason Varitek has also been reassigned within the organization.

Interim Replacements Step In

Stepping into the managerial void on an interim basis is Chad Tracy, most recently the Triple-A manager. The club has also named Chad Epperson as interim third-base coach and Collin Hetzler to assist the major league hitting staff. Both Tracy and Epperson are slated to make their Red Sox managerial debuts Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles.

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A Tenure Defined by Extremes

Cora's tenure, spanning seven-plus seasons and two separate stints as manager, saw periods of remarkable success juxtaposed with the current struggles. He accumulated a career record of 620-541 with the club. His initial period at the helm included a 108-win season and a World Series triumph, later complicated by a league-issued suspension for unrelated conduct. The current iteration of the Red Sox roster, notably different from the championship-winning squads featuring stars like Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts, has struggled to replicate past glories.

The Red Sox's offensive and pitching metrics entering Saturday’s games painted a grim picture, ranking 26th in runs scored and 24th in ERA. This statistical malaise underscores the depth of the team's on-field issues, which ultimately led to the drastic staffing changes. Team president Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow are expected to address the media on Sunday.

Read More: Red Sox Fire Alex Cora and Coaches After Bad Start

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why did the Boston Red Sox fire manager Alex Cora on Saturday, April 25, 2026?
The Red Sox fired Alex Cora and six staff members because the team had a poor start to the 2026 season, with a record of 10 wins and 17 losses, placing them last in the AL East.
Q: Who will replace Alex Cora as manager for the Boston Red Sox?
Chad Tracy, who was the Triple-A manager, will take over as interim manager. Chad Epperson will be the interim third-base coach, and Collin Hetzler will help the hitting staff.
Q: What was Alex Cora's record as manager for the Boston Red Sox?
Alex Cora managed the Red Sox for over seven seasons in two separate periods, achieving a record of 620 wins and 541 losses. He also led the team to a World Series win in a past season.
Q: What are the main problems with the Boston Red Sox team in the 2026 season?
The team is struggling offensively and defensively. They rank 26th in runs scored and 24th in earned run average (ERA) this season, which shows they are having trouble scoring runs and stopping the other team from scoring.