Which MLB Managers Are On Hot Seat After Red Sox's Alex Cora Firing?

Carlos Mendoza began his managerial run by taking the Mets to an unlikely NLCS appearance in 2024, and some fans may argue that the front office deserves more blame for an offseason shakeup yielding ugly results thus far. But Mendoza could take the fall if a team with playoff aspirations keeps toiling.

Rob Thomson, Philadelphia Phillies

Boston will hope Tracy does as well as Rob Thomson, who led the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series as an interim manager in 2022. He's since overseen three straight seasons of at least 90 wins, but the temperature is rising amid a nightmarish April.

While hitting has forsaken the Mets, Philadelphia's starting rotation has woefully underperformed expectations with an MLB-worst 5.80 ERA. As a result, the Phillies possess baseball's worst run differential (-54) with a 9-19 record.

A returning Zack Wheeler could help right the ship, but the championship window could be rapidly closing for an aging squad. Boston also may have inadvertently increased the odds of a change in Philadelphia.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale said that former Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski loves Cora and could be motivated to reunite with the manager.

Joe Espada, Houston Astros

The Houston Astros went to the ALCS seven straight times under A.J. Hinch and Dusty Baker before hiring Joe Espada. They haven't won a playoff game since.

Houston followed a 2024 Wild Card Series sweep by missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Astros are in grave danger of going home early again after starting 11-17.

While Yordan Alvarez is off to an MVP-caliber start, the pitching staff has allowed a ghastly six runs per game. However, general manager Dana Brown wouldn't blame Espada for a unit that's reeling without ace Hunter Brown and star closer Josh Hader.

"No. Joe is managing through the injuries. We are all watching what’s going on," Brown told The Athletic's Chandler Rome on Sunday. "The pitching hasn’t been up to par. We're walking a ton of guys. I can't start pointing the finger at Joe because we’re walking a ton of guys and we're banged up."

Espada may be safe for now, but patience could wear thin if Houston stays in the division's cellar.

More MLB: Former Red Sox Player Explains Why Alex Cora Will Be Hard To Replace