even win 17-1 Alex couldn’t save Cora and his coaching staff.
Despite losing to Baltimore 10–17 earlier in the day. boston red sox fired its longtime manager on SaturdayAlong with hitting coach Peter Fatsey, third-base coach Kyle Hudson, bench coach Ramon Vazquez, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson and major league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin. The team also re-hired game planning and run prevention coach Jason Varitek.
Why did the Red Sox do all this now? Could another manager around the big companies be next? ESPN MLB experts Buster Olney, Jorge Castillo and David Schoenfield answer those and other questions after Boston’s surprise announcement.
The Red Sox have only played 27 games in their season. Why make such a big change now? Has Boston been that bad?
Buster Olney: Boston certainly performed poorly early in the season, but this firing has surprised many in the industry because of his timing and Cora’s stature among managers. A rival evaluator: “How does firing one of the best managers in the game make the game better?” An hour after Saturday’s game, the Boston coaching staff was about to follow through on plans to go to dinner, but then Cora messaged the group letting them know something had happened — and the text chain fired several people.
This is a complete flex by Craig Breslow, head of baseball operations for the Red Sox. He didn’t hire Cora and now he’s firing her. In the long and historic Red Sox “Game of Thrones” under owner John Henry’s tenure, Breslow comes out on top; It’s their organization, obviously.
Jorge Castillo: Because to begin with, someone has to be the scapegoat – and it’s almost always the manager, even an accomplished manager like Cora. That’s how it works in Major League Baseball.
Clubs have sometimes benefited from mid-season managerial changes; philadelphia phillies The swap of Joe Girardi for Rob Thomson in 2022 before the World Series is a prime recent example. But these changes almost never move the needle because the results are player-driven. The Red Sox offense has been terrible, and its starting rotation, a projected strength, has underperformed. Was he on Quora and her staff? Probably not.
This case is unusual because Cora was not the only dismissal. Five coaches were also dismissed, while Varitek was demoted to an undisclosed position within the organization. This is not just a managerial change. It was a 17% overhaul of the coaching staff in one season for a team with World Series aspirations. The results would fall on Breslow, who inherited Cora as manager and decided the Red Sox would be better off without him.
David Schoenfield: Yes, the Red Sox have been bad. Offense is 27th in OPS, which is why in addition to Cora, the hitting staff was also let go. The starting rotation, considered the team’s strength, has struggled and ranks 27th in the majors with a 5.08 ERA, although highly regarded pitching coach Andrew Bailey was retained. Perhaps the final blow was Thursday’s defeat New York YankeesWhich completed a three-game sweep. The Red Sox took a 2-1 lead in the seventh inning, but Cora let the lead slip without taking advantage. Garrett WhitlockHis top setup reliever, even though Whitlock had not pitched for several days. brian belloFriday’s devastating five-homer game was the capper.
Alex Cora’s contract runs until next season. How did he lose the confidence of ownership?
Olney: For years, Cora was the most powerful person in the organization. But with last year’s success, sources in the Red Sox organization felt that Breslow had built a fruitful relationship with Henry. What’s interesting about the timing of Breslow’s rise to power is that the general perception about how he did his job outside the organization is not good – his personal aloofness. rafael devers Last year before the trade, there were unsuccessful negotiations with the options made with the Devers deal and the players acquired in it. alex bregmanexpensive deal for ranger suarez And a clear lack of power in the everyday lineup. But with Cora gone and unproven manager Chad Tracy promoted, the Red Sox’s success or failure will be Breslow’s; It will be his and only his. As one rival executive said of Breslow after the Kora firing: “I have to give him credit for his conviction.”
Castillo: As Buster said, it was a power struggle and Cora lost. Cora defeated Chaim Bloom, but this time Breslow won. The Red Sox have been criticized for their payroll and roster decisions – and rightfully so. But ultimately, the team made the playoffs in three of Cora’s seven seasons before this disappointing start. This gave Breslow the opportunity to remodel the coaching staff to his liking.
Schoenfield: In his first year in 2018, the Red Sox went 108–54 under Cora’s leadership and won the World Series – making a strong claim as the greatest Red Sox team in franchise history. However, since then, Cora has gone 512-487, while missing the 2020 season while under suspension for his actions as a coach. Houston Astros In 2017. While the Red Sox haven’t run as much of a top-in-game payroll under Dave Dombrowski, you could argue they’ve underachieved over the last five seasons, only making the playoffs in 2021 and 2026, but only finishing second in 2021. Or, at least, they haven’t achieved much. That’s down to individual front office executives, but as Buster pointed out: Breslow didn’t hire Cora, and ownership has made its choice.
Chad Tracy is taking over on an interim basis. Who is he and what should the Red Sox expect from him?
Olney: Manager Tracy is highly respected in the Red Sox farm system. The big unknown is how he will handle the big-market media. We have seen many managers who are good at X’s and O’s but not good at handling a large number of journalists, and this kind of problem can crop up very quickly.
The Red Sox have several good players and should play better. But the lack of power in the everyday lineup is a major problem, and it’s unclear whether a series of coaching changes in the offseason can make a difference.
Castillo: Tracy spent nine years in the minors as a player before moving into management. He managed three seasons in Los Angeles Angels‘ farm system and four as the organization’s minor league field coordinator, before he was hired as manager of Triple-A Worcester ahead of the 2022 season. His father, Jim, played in the majors and managed los angeles dodgersThe pittsburgh pirates and this colorado rockies. So, Tracy at least has some management education through both experience and his father. But stepping into the fire in Boston, which is notorious for its passionate fan base and intense media contingent, will be a stiff test. At least Worcester is only 50 minutes down the Pike.
The Red Sox aren’t the only team that had high expectations coming off a poor start. Which managers could be on the hot seat next?
Olney: There is already heavy speculation within the industry that Cora may soon get an opportunity with the Phillies, given his previous success working with David Dombrowski, now Philadelphia’s head of baseball ops. Cora could be a good fit for any big-market team – or small-market team, for that matter – but his previous association with Dombrowski (and the Phillies’ team leader) kyle schwarber) is not something that Quora would have at other places. The Phillies may have to add another year to his three-year, $21.75 million deal. If not the Phillies, Cora will have other opportunities, and perhaps some right away. Joe Espada is in the last year of his deal with the struggling Astros, along with manager Carlos Mendoza. New York Mets.
Castillo: As Buster indicated, Rob Thomson of the Phillies. The Phillies have another expensive roster off to a disappointing start in a big market. Thomson’s contract runs through the 2027 season, but that won’t stop Dombrowski and owner John Middleton from making a move if they deem it necessary.
