Alex Cora Wasn’t to Blame for the Sox’s Slow Start, but Maybe it Was Just Time to Move On

TL;DR

Alex Cora has been fired as manager of the Boston Red Sox amid a disappointing season. The team's leadership is undergoing a complete reset as they move away from the ethos of their 2018 championship era.

Key points

Alex Cora has been fired as manager of the Boston Red Sox
The team is undergoing a complete reset after a poor start to the season
Cora's departure marks a shift away from the 2018 championship ethos

Mentioned in this story

Alex CoraJason Varitek

Boston Red SoxHouston Astros

Mar 30, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora walks to the mound for a pitching change during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images It’s hard for me to get overly upset about Alex Cora’s sudden ouster this afternoon. This is a man who returned to the team after a one-year suspension for cheating, after all, which is a very weird thing to have happened. We were always on borrowed time, and for a good amount of that time, Cora wielded considerable power in the organization. This made him very important. He is not important anymore. He’ s gone, along with Jason Varitek and several others. It’s a full reset at the top for a team resting at the bottom. You get the feeling that the organization had several contingencies for how this season could play out, and chose the “obviously sucks ass in April” option of a total reset rather than let it get any further. I can’t say I care too much either way or expect it to meaningfully affect the team’s performance. They do in fact stink. From a 30K-foot-view, or just one in the mirror, the Red Sox need to move on from the 2018 team’s ethos forever, and getting rid of Cora is the last link in that now-diminished chain. He was only thing tying the franchise to their golden era and made us us look bad just by showing up. Now that Red Sox aren’t trying to win a World Series for sure, it’s an honest question whether Cora is the right guy for that assignment, or if he even wanted tio be. Neither of the answers truly matter, but I can’t imagine he’s too broken up about it. Point-blank, it was time for everyone to move on. And to be clear… that sucks. As the last guy standing who physically represented the singularly great 2018 title, Coa’s continued presence served as a bridge to the decreasingly recent past when the team aimed high and hit their goal, and then some, not just as the best in the league but as one of the best teams ever. John Henry tore it apart after that. This was just cutting the last string to that era. The Red Sox are dead; long live the Red Sox. Just don’t get your hopes up.

Q&A

Why was Alex Cora fired as manager of the Boston Red Sox?

Alex Cora was fired due to the team's poor performance and the need for a complete organizational reset.

What does Alex Cora's firing mean for the future of the Red Sox?

Cora's departure signifies a shift away from the 2018 championship ethos, indicating the team is no longer focused on immediate success.

Who else was let go alongside Alex Cora from the Red Sox?

Along with Alex Cora, Jason Varitek and several others were also dismissed as part of the team's leadership overhaul.