Red Sox Fire Alex Cora, Jason Varitek and Most of Coaching Staff After Brutal Start to Season

The Boston Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora after a 10-17 start to the season. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Red Sox are cleaning house after a 10–17 start.

Despite a 17–1 win over the Orioles on Saturday, the team decided to remove much of its coaching staff, starting with manager Alex Cora. ESPN’s Jeff Passan is reporting Cora is gone, along with hitting coach Peter Fatse, bench coach Rámon Vazquez, third base coach Kyle Hudson and game-planning coach Jason Varitek.

It’s an incredibly bold move by Boston’s front office, as Cora led the team to a World Series title in 2018, and Varitek is a franchise legend who won two World Series as the team's catcher and captain.

Cora took over as the team’s manager in 2018 after helping the Astros to a World Series in 2017 as the team’s bench coach. In his first season on the job, Boston won the World Series, topping the Dodgers in five games. In November of 2019, Cora was handed a one-year suspension for his role in Houston’s electronic sign-stealing scandal.

When his suspension was over, Cora was re-hired by the Red Sox in November of 2020. During his eight years as the team’s manager, Boston went 620-541 (.534) and reached the postseason three times. The Red Sox lost in the ALCS to Houston in 2021, and were bounced in the wild-card round against the Yankees last season.

Things are a mess in Boston so it’s no a surprise Cora is getting the boot. It is surprising that Varitek is being fired as well. After retiring in 2011, he was hired as a special assitant to general manager Ben Cherington in 2012. He has been with the franchise since in various capacities, and was officially the game-planning coach this year.

It may not sit well with Red Sox fans that Varitek is being let go from the organization, as he’s been part of it since he was acquired in a trade with the Mariners in 1997.

Red Sox offense is one of baseball’s worst

Despite the big win on Saturday, Boston has been brutal to start the season. They occupy last place in the AL East and sit 7 1/2 games behind the Yankees, who are in first. The team has been awful offensively all across the lineup.

Even after Saturday’s 17-run explosion, the Red Sox are currently tied for last in home runs (18), 28th in slugging (.354), 26th in OPS (.667) and 23rd in on-base percentage (.313).

Boston only has two qualified hitters with an OPS over .800: Wilyer Abreu (.834) and Willson Contreras (.804). Several hitters the team was counting on have struggled to open the season.

Roman Anthony is only slashing .225/.351/.325 with one home run and four RBIs. He’s currently dealing with a back injury.

Jarren Duran is hitting .198, with a .258 on-base percentage, while slugging .291. He has one home run and 11 RBIs, but has struck out 24 times and only walked six.

Trevor Story has struck out an incredible 37 times in 27 games, while posting a weak OPS of .523.

Caleb Durbin has been, perhaps, the worst bat on the roster. Durbin is slashing .165/.260/.271 early and entered Saturday 181st among 182 qualified MLB hitters in wRC+ (27).

The team’s offensive issues are widespread, so it’s not shocking the Red Sox chose to shake up the coaching staff.

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