The decision to fire manager Alex Cora began with chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, boston red sox President Sam Kennedy said Sunday.
“Craig leads our baseball operations and has made many bold decisions and recommendations and this was one of them,” Kennedy said during a news conference with Breslow in Baltimore on Sunday. “That’s why we took the actions we took yesterday.”
The Red Sox (10-17), who are in last place in the American League East, Cora and five members of his coaching staff were fired Saturday. Chad Tracy, a former major leaguer and manager of Boston’s Triple-A affiliate in Worcester through 2022, was named interim manager.
Kennedy said the decision to make the move was made Saturday morning and he, Breslow and owner John Henry flew in from Boston to deliver the news after Saturday’s incident. win 17-1 against Orioles.
Kennedy said Henry was part of the meetings Saturday and Sunday morning, but he was not present at the news conference.
Kennedy said, “Craig and I have a job to do and this is our job.”
Not everyone agrees with the change. veteran shortstop trevor storyCora, who is not in the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Orioles, told reporters that the explanation Breslow gave to players regarding Cora’s dismissal was not “satisfactory.”
Story said, “It’s not decided yet what the real direction of the franchise is.” He added that he wanted to talk further with Breslow about steps. “Some of the best coaches in the world didn’t get a fair chance.”
Cora, 50, was in the second year of a three-year, $21.75 million contract extension signed in July 2024, making him one of the highest-paid managers in Major League Baseball. The deal expires after the 2027 season.
“Yesterday was certainly painful, but we felt it was a necessary step, and we felt it necessary to take decisive action to achieve the goal of a fresh start for the 2026 season,” Kennedy said. “We have full confidence in the players in that room that they will perform at the highest level and get us back to playing baseball in October, which is the goal. Ultimately, what matters is performance on the field at the major league level, and a new start starts today.”
Breslow, who previously called the decision to fire Cora a group decision, will remain with the Red Sox during their road trip.
“Taking action today gives us a chance to be 135 games ahead,” Breslow said, “so we have almost an entire season’s worth of racing to take advantage of this fresh start and ultimately compete for the division and a deep postseason run the way we talked about and envisioned and believed in heading into spring training.”
“We believe in the group of players that are in our clubhouse, down the hallway, and we believe that there is a need for a new direction, new voices, and something that will enable us to have a fresh start.”
Breslow said the team has “complete confidence” in Tracy, especially given his established relationships with the team’s young stars, but could not say what the season would hold.
“we can [hiring a new manager]; It may also be that Chad is exactly, you know, who we’re looking for,” Breslow said. “We have full confidence in him. We believe that’s the case, but you know, anytime a team is not performing, I think you have to look at all options.”
Tracy said he understood that the relationship Cora and his coaching staff had with their players was something he could not ignore.
“I look forward to sitting here with all of you in this moment, but also acknowledging that there were strong relationships with some people who are no longer here,” Tracy said. “And you also know that in a lot of ways, some players feel the same way. Very excited, right? But also respecting the guys who were my mentors before me.”
outfielder roman anthonyTreacy, who played for Worcester, said the team will be kept at the same level and “things are about to change.”
“You just adapt and get wins,” said Anthony, who returned to the starting lineup Sunday as the designated hitter after missing three games because of back pain. “Tracy is going to be great.”
The Red Sox initially hired Cora, a 14-year major league veteran, in 2018, after he spent a year as a bench coach. Houston Astros. The Puerto Rico native led Boston to a 108 win season and a World Series title in his first year.
Boston failed to reach the postseason in 2019 before Cora resigned due to his involvement in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal in 2017. Commissioner Rob Manfred subsequently suspended Cora for the 2020 season. The Red Sox re-assigned Cora upon his reinstatement, signing him to a two-year deal with club options for 2023 and 2024.
The Red Sox reached the postseason under Cora in 2021, advancing to the AL Championship Series, and in 2025, when the Yankees eliminated them in the AL Wild Card Series to conclude a turbulent year. Boston won 89 games last season despite trading rafael deversWhich was once considered a franchise pillar.
Boston entered Sunday last in the majors in home runs (18), 28th in slugging percentage (.354), 29th in wRC+ (84) and 22nd in runs (112).
ESPN’s Jorge Castillo contributed to this report.
