Red Sox fire manager Alex Cora

The Boston Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora on Saturday, April 25, after a 10-17 start and named Chad Tracy interim manager. (mlb.com) Boston made the move hours after a 17-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles, its most lopsided victory of the season. The club also fired hitting coach Peter Fatse, bench coach Ramón Vázquez, third-base coach Kyle Hudson, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson and hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin. (mlb.com) (espn.com) Game planning and run prevention coach Jason Varitek was reassigned, not dismissed, and Tracy took over for Sunday’s series finale in Baltimore. Boston president Sam Kennedy said chief baseball officer Craig Breslow made the decision. (espn.com) (mlb.com) Cora had managed Boston since 2018, left after the 2019 season during the Houston Astros sign-stealing fallout, and returned before the 2021 season. He won the 2018 World Series and finished his second Red Sox stint with another abrupt ending. (mlb.com) (espn.com) The timing reflected more than one bad week. MLB.com reported that Boston’s offense, defense and game preparation had all fallen short through the first month, and the front office said the move was meant to reset standards without blaming players alone. (mlb.com 1) (mlb.com 2) Players did not present a united public front after the firing. Trevor Story said the organization’s direction felt unclear less than 24 hours after Cora and five coaches were let go. (espn.com) Outside the clubhouse, the debate turned quickly to roster construction. The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy argued the problem was the roster Breslow and ownership built, not the manager they removed 27 games into the season. (bostonglobe.com) For now, Boston has chosen a full coaching shakeup over a smaller course correction. The next measure comes in the standings, where Tracy inherits a last-place team that already forced one of baseball’s earliest manager changes of 2026. (espn.com)