Alex Cora Fired by Red Sox amid 10-17 Start, Won 2018 World Series with Boston

Despite blowing out the Baltimore Orioles 17-1 on Saturday, the Boston Red Sox are cleaning house.

The Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora along with hitting coach Peter Fatse and bench coach Rámon Vazquez. Assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson and Major League hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin were also fired.

Additionally, Jason Varitek, a three-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion as a player for the team, was removed from his role as the game-planning coach and will be reassigned to a new role within the organization.

Red Sox owner John Henry said in a statement:

"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. 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."

ESPN's Jeff Passan was first to report the news.

Worcester Red Sox manager Chad Tracy has been named interim manager, per MassLive's Chris Cotillo.

Ownership and the front office clearly weren't swayed by Saturday's offensive explosion. The final score is also a little deceiving as 10 of Boston's runs came in the ninth inning, and four of them were charged to Orioles outfielder Weston Wilson.

Red Sox vs. Orioles (04/25/2026)

04:58

With the win, the Red Sox improved their record to just 10-17. They're last in the American League East and 7.5 games back of the first-place New York Yankees.

As is the case with a lot of underperforming teams, Cora only bears so much responsibility for an offense that isn't delivering and an ace (Garrett Crochet) with an ERA nearing 8.00 prior to Saturday.

Reshuffling the coaching staff to this degree in late April is also a bit puzzling. If Cora and some of his assistants were on this hot a seat, then making the change in the offseason was seemingly the smarter call.

Firing Cora in the winter wouldn't have been a total shock, either.

The 50-year-old helped the Red Sox win a World Series in his first season in 2018. Boston didn't win more than 92 games and reached the playoffs twice in his next six years at the helm, though.

In addition, the Rafael Devers saga last summer exposed wider issues within the organization. Yahoo Sports' Joon Lee reported at the time that Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow "have not seen eye-to-eye on the direction of the team."

Lee added that the manager "wasn't fully on board with how the front office wanted to manage the roster and player development."

In the event there was a power struggle that dragged into this season, Breslow came away as the winner after Saturday's moves.