At Camden Yards on Friday, after Boston’s 10-3 loss to the Orioles, something about the air felt heavy. So when Alex Cora arrived 40 minutes late for his pregame media session, it only added to the sense that something around the team was beginning to shift. He then brushed it off, saying he was simply on the call with his two sons back in Puerto Rico. But the next day, the truth of the situation came to light.

What followed on Saturday was one of the most bizarre sequences in the history of the Modern Era. The Red Sox just won the second game against the Baltimore Orioles, snapping their 4-game losing streak by a 17-1 record. The offense came to life with all batters taking hits and 3 home runs scored and itching was also at its best with 4 pitchers used. No one allowed an earned run!  For a moment, it did look like the kind of team Cora led in 2018. But the truth was something big was brewing in the front office.

Hours after the final out, the Red Sox officially overhauled their coaching staff, firing Alex Cora along with five key members of his inner circle. “The Boston Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora, hitting coach Peter Fatse, bench coach Ramón Vázquez, and game-planning coach Jason Varitek, sources tell ESPN. While the Red Sox won today, they are 10-17 and in last place in the American League East. Massive change is coming in Boston,” MLB insider Jeff Passan shared via X.

Ironically, as per the Elias Sports Bureau, Saturday’s 16-run victory stands as the largest winning margin in any Major League manager’s final game with a team in the Modern Era (since 1900).

The firing marks the first time the Red Sox fired a manager mid-season since Jimy Williams in August 2001. However this decision was clearly not easy to come by, and owner John Henry doesn’t deny it.

“Alex Cora led this organization to one of the greatest seasons in Red Sox history in 2018, and for that, and the many years that followed, he will always have our deepest gratitude,” Red Sox principal owner John Henry said in a statement. “He has had a lasting impact on this team and on this city. He has led on and off the field in so many important ways. These decisions are never easy, but this one is especially difficult given what Alex has meant to the Red Sox since the day he arrived.”

But the real question is, was this decision surprising? Not really, and the result speaks to that tone. Cora, for example, has failed to better the power-hitting figures, as the Red Sox currently rank 30th in terms of hitting home runs. In fact, since winning the 2018 World Series, Cora couldn’t maintain momentum.

Boston could only secure a postseason berth in 2021 and 2025, only to lose out in the ALCS. And apart from these on-field stats, Cora’s didn’t help his case either. Last year, Bregman was placed on the hot corner, forcing the team’s stable third baseman, Devers, to move to DH.

However, upon Triston Casas’ injury, Devers was again asked to move to 1B. Cora couldn’t control the lineup sequence, and eventually Devers got traded to the San Francisco Giants, only to lose out on Bregman to free agency before this season. And then, the Red Sox’s rough start this year has made the writing on the wall clear.

We had witnessed the same last year when the Mets fired most of Carlos Mendoza’s coaching staff. Now, for the Red Sox, Triple-A Worcester’s manager, Chad Tracy, will be the interim manager.

Even game planning and run prevention coach Jason Varitek has been swept up. However, he has been reassigned to a new role within the organization, details of which will be announced at a later date.

Arguments can be made and if the players should also be blamed. But in MLB, wins matter. Cora was fired despite having a 620–541 record. And with him, the entire coaching staff took the hit.

The Red Sox’s stunner with their third-base coach

Kyle Hudson joined the team in 2023 as a first-base coach. But after a year, he was moved to third-base coach. And his best outcome was arguably Jarren Duran. Duran had a rough season in 2022, hitting only .221, but that catapulted to .295 in 2023. Home runs increased by only 5, but his RBIs rose to 40 from 17 in 2022. And per Duran, the credit goes to Hudson.

“He’s had a huge impact on me, just on the field, off the field, somebody I can talk to about everything,” Duran said back then.

By the end of 2023, Duran was ranked 4th in outfield jumps by Statcast. He was seen frequently turning singles into doubles. Moreover, Hudson implemented an aggressive style in 2024. This included helping the team secure high-volume stolen base performances. The nine-stolen-base game against the Yankees in June 2024 was the prime instance of his successful strategy.

Despite such records, Hudson couldn’t save himself from the latest cleanout wave in the Red Sox.

“Third-base coach Kyle Hudson was also let go by Boston, sources tell ESPN,” Passan added.

This year, Boston was struggling in baserunning. For instance, on Friday, the lack of aggressive baserunning among Trevor Story and Marcelo Mayer caused a goof-up and a double play.

Now that the Red Sox have thought of revamping the entire coaching staff, we will be here looking for updates. The team is still at the bottom of the division, and it would be interesting to see how they steer till the new panel takes charge.