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The Boston Red Sox have fired manager Alex Cora following a disappointing 10-17 start. Potential replacements include David Ross and Rocco Baldelli as the team looks to restructure.
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Alex Cora replacements: David Ross, Rocco Baldelli among names Red Sox could hire as next manager originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox made the shocking decision to fire manager Alex Cora and many of his assistants on Saturday, as the team's 10-17 start has been wildly disappointing.
Cora was with the Red Sox since 2018, not including 2020, and led the team to a World Series title in the 2018 season. However, Boston disappointed at times over the course of the past five seasons, leading to the organization's decision to make a change.
The future of the team remains foggy, since Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow's job could depend on how the team performs through the rest of the year. In the meantime, Breslow remains in charge and should have the chance to hire his own manager after the year.
Here's a look at five names who could become the next Red Sox skipper.
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The most likely choice for next Red Sox manager is current interim manager Chad Tracy. The 40-year-old has been the manager of Boston's AAA team, the Worcester Red Sox, since 2022, and is considered a future MLB manager after being so successful in the minor leagues.
Tracy is the son of former MLB manager Jim Tracy and played minor league baseball in the 2010s before turning to coaching with Boston. If the Red Sox want to focus on developing their young players, Tracy makes the most sense as the manager who coached all of those players in the minor leagues.
The Red Sox fired Alex Cora due to a disappointing 10-17 start to the season.
David Ross and Rocco Baldelli are among the names being considered to replace Alex Cora.
Cora's firing raises questions about the team's future direction, especially regarding Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow's job security.
The Boston Red Sox fired Alex Cora on Saturday, following their poor start to the season.
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Besides Cora, Baldelli may be the best manager free agent available after the Minnesota Twins fired him after last season. The 44-year-old managed the Twins from 2019-2025 and won the AL Central three times in seven years, but his team's fizzled out in his last two seasons.
Baldelli briefly played for the Red Sox in 2009 but spent the majority of his playing career with the Tampa Bay Rays organization before he got into coaching. This year, Baldelli has been working as a special assistant in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization as he is likely biding time until he gets another chance to manage a team.
Ross was the Chicago Cubs manager from 2020-2023, which is also when current Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow was an executive in the Cubs front office. Additionally, both Breslow and Ross were on the 2013 Red Sox World Series championship team, so there are multiple connections between the two.
Hiring Ross would mean Breslow's job is not in jeopardy since the two have previous connections with each other. Ross went under-.500 as the Cubs manager as he largely presided over a transitional period, but his best season was his last, and he will likely get another chance to manage in the league.
Flaherty is a rising star in the coaching ranks as he was the Padres bench coach from 2020 to 2023 and has been the Cubs bench coach since 2024. Just 39 years-old, Flaherty interviewed for other manager opening in the past but has yet to have the chance to lead a team himself.
Boston hiring Flaherty would be the team betting on upside, but it could be worth it if Flaherty proves to be the real deal. However, Flaherty is less of a win-now move than other members of this list and more of a developmental hire who cna grow with the team.
Another former manager with a Breslow connection, Andy Green was the Cubs bench coach for the Cubs under Ross from 2020-2023. Green previously managed the San Diego Padres from 2016-2019 but had four-straight losing seasons and only reached 70 wins once in those four years.
Currently, Green works in the New York Mets front office and is a possible option if the Mets decide to move on from their manager, Carlos Mendoza. Like with Ross, Green would be a manager who is on the same page as Breslow and would let the organization move forward with a united vision.