Red Sox’s Explanation for Firing Alex Cora Feels Off

On Sunday morning, Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and president and chief executive officer Sam Kennedy spoke to the media and opened up about the decision to surprisingly fire manager Alex Cora after 27 games in the 2026 season.

While speaking to the media, Breslow pointed to a "belief" in the roster the Red Sox currently have and underperformance as the main driver in the decision to cut ties with Cora right now.

"First, I just want to echo [Sam Kennedy's] sentiments about Alex, what he's meant to this organization and the staff and thank them for all of their contributions," Breslow said. "But, answering your question directly, it really comes down to the belief we have in the players and the belief that we have in the group to accomplish what we set out to accomplish.

"By acting today, it gives us 135 games ahead of us. We have almost a full season's worth of run to take advantage of this fresh start and ultimately compete for a division and a deep postseason run in the way we talked about it and envisioned and believed heading into Spring Training."

Did The Red Sox Get it Right?

Dec 9, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks with the media at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Breslow's point isn't necessarily wrong. Boston hasn't lived up to expectations and is 10-17. There is no denying that fact. The offense has been the club's biggest weakness. Boston is tied for last place in the league with 18 homers and is tied for 22nd in the league with 112 runs scored.

But what is the biggest driver of the offense struggling? Was it the coaching? Or was it a lack of power added to the club? Willson Contreras has been an excellent pickup, but the rest of the strategy around the offense after losing Alex Bregman has been seemingly to simply make an incomplete roster work. This idea stems from the five outfielders that means at least one sits each night.

When the Red Sox cleared house on Saturday, they removed most of the staff, aside from those around the pitching side of the club, like pitching coach Andrew Bailey. While the offense has struggled, the pitching hasn't lived up to expectations either. Boston is 27th in the league in starter ERA at 5.08. The bullpen has been solid and is ninth in the league with a 3.62 ERA.

So, again, it's true the Red Sox haven't lived up to expectations. But was that the coaching, or is the roster not fully maximized? It's a real question and frankly, the answer likely falls somewhere in the middle.

Add us as a preferred source on Google