It's Time for Red Sox to Take Chad Tracy's Interim Tag Off

With the Boston Red Sox having a day off on Thursday, it's a good time to evaluate where things are and talk about what the club should do next.

Unfortunately, the Red Sox's historic winning streak was snapped on Wednesday night against the Baltimore Orioles. But this came after the club tied the franchise record for consecutive wins with 15 in the first half of a day-night doubleheader against Baltimore. Boston won Game 1 and lost Game 2. Now, the club is 52-49 on the season and has a two-game lead over the Seattle Mariners for the No. 3 American League Wild Card spot.

The vibes are high and the timing couldn't be better with 11 days to go until the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline.

Right now, the Red Sox's biggest needs are a right-handed bat who can preferably play in the middle infield or at catcher and a high-leverage reliever. Boston already has the best bullpen in baseball, but you can never have enough good arms in the playoffs. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported that a starting pitcher could "be in the cards" as Boston tries to protect Payton Tolle, Connelly Early and Jake Bennett. If the Red Sox could come away from the deadline with a slugger and a reliever, that would be enough.

The sample size is large enough to arguably judge interim manager Chad Tracy right now as well. When the Red Sox fired Alex Cora, the club was 10-17. Since then, Boston has gone 42-32. Now, of course, a 15-game winning streak is going to skew the numbers. But he has been able to pick up the pieces and be a steady voice for the club as they struggled and worked their way through the winning streak. It's easy to get caught up in hot streaks — and cold streaks. But Boston hasn't gotten too high, or too low, which is a sign of a good leader.

Chad Tracy Is The Guy

May 28, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy (17) sits in the dugout before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tracy arguably is the guy for Boston and should have the interim tag come off at some point.

On Thursday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe shared a column with an inside look into how Tracy has been able to help turn this club around. If you weren't sold on Tracy simply because of the 15-game winning streak, his message to the team after losing two out of three games against the Colorado Rockies just before the hot streak arguably will sway you.

Boston lost two out of three against one of the worst teams in baseball in Colorado to drop its record to 32-46 before a four-game series against the New York Yankees. Rather than sitting back, Tracy had a message for the club, per Speier.

“I’m not gonna turn on you. I know what you’re going through. I’ve been here. All these losses, we’re doing it together, and we’re gonna find a way to win together,” Tracy said. “When you guys are rolling in the [expletive], we’re rolling in it with you. And when we get to the point where all the flowers come out, we’ll be there with you.”

The rest is history. Boston won four straight against the Yankees, dropped two out of three against the Washington Nationals, and then tied the franchise record with 15 straight wins.

It was a surprising move back in April when the Red Sox moved on from Cora, but Tracy has stepped into the role and has shown clear growth over the last few months. Tracy is the guy for Boston and should be beyond the 2026 season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google