Red Sox executive Craig Breslow stated need for 'consistent, stabilizing voice' in explaining Alex Cora firing

Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and team CEO Sam Kennedy met with reporters on Sunday morning in Baltimore following Saturday’s firing of manager Alex Cora and five coaches.

Kennedy said the decision was made to dismiss Cora and the coaches on Saturday morning, after which he and Breslow traveled to Baltimore to inform them of the change.

Breslow took responsibility for the Red Sox’s disappointing performance thus far with a 10-17 record and last-place standing in the American League East division, saying it falls upon him and acknowledged that he gave Cora “a challenging roster to manage,” particularly with the everyday lineup.

However, Breslow stated his belief in the players on the roster and hinted that Cora may have had difficulty communicating with a young team, praising new interim manager Chad Tracy for being a “consistent, stabilizing voice” for the players.

As manager of the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Worcester since 2022, Tracy worked with several of the young players now on Boston’s major-league roster including Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Marcelo Mayer and Brayan Bello.

“He’s familiar with meaningful relationships with the majority of our roster, given the young players that we do have,” Breslow said. “He’s demonstrated an ability to get the most out of that group.”

Kennedy called the Red Sox “a front office-led baseball operation,” indicating that Breslow drove the decision to fire Cora and the coaches. Breslow viewed making the change now as a “fresh start,” with 135 games remaining giving the team “almost a full season’s worth of run.”