After winning a Red Sox record 108 games and a World Series as a rookie manager in 2018, Alex Cora was axed for the second time. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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Alex Cora, hired and fired twice by the Boston Red Sox, is virtually certain to find his way to another team soon.
Although he was the first manager fired in 2026, at least a half-dozen others are edging toward the firing line, including Carlos Mendoza (Mets), Tony Vitello (Giants), and Rob Thomson (Phillies). Hours after Cora and his coaches got the ax from the struggling Red Sox, USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale speculated that Cora could be headed for Philadelphia.
At age 50, the former major-league infielder has youth on his side. He also has a pair of World Series rings, one from the 2017 Houston Astros and another from the 2018 Red Sox.
Cora came to Boston after serving as bench coach for the Astros, whose World Series win was tainted by an electronic sign-stealing scandal that resulted in his release by the Red Sox in January 2020 and his subsequent suspension by Major League Baseball because of his alleged involvement in the scheme.
Ron Roenicke managed the Red Sox during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign but went 20-36, prompting the team to bring Cora back after his year-long suspension ended.
During his two stints in Boston, Cora compiled an 837-428 record but reached the World Series only once. That was not enough to satisfy either the front office or the throng of rabid fans often referred to as Red Sox Nation.
This season, chants of “Sell the Team” were aimed at owner John Henry, team president Sam Kennedy, and baseball operations chief Craig Breslow, a former major-league pitcher.
Breslow tried to beef up the pitching staff during the off-season but most of the newcomers failed to deliver. Compounding the felony, third baseman Alex Bregman signed with the Chicago Cubs after Boston refused his request for a no-trade clause in his contract.
The Red Sox miss the bat and glove of third baseman Alex Bregman, who jumped to the Chicago Cubs via free agency. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
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The Bregman loss was devastating for both the offense and defense, with the revised Red Sox infield an albatross contributing heavily to the club’s 10-17 record, eight games behind the rival Yankees entering play Sunday.
An ancient baseball adage suggests that it’s not what you’ve done for me but what you’ve done for me lately. Cora is a prime example.
Like Terry Francona before him, Cora won a World Series in his first season as Boston manager. But his inability to get off to a good start this year greased his wheel of fortune.
Breslow, who became Boston’s Chief Baseball Officer on Oct. 25, 2023, cleaned house early.
In 2025, the first manager fired was Derek Shelton, then with Pittsburgh, on May 8. Three days later, the Colorado Rockies canned long-time manager Bud Black. Then came Dave Martinez of the Washington Nationals on July 6.
In the waning days of the season, the list of fired managers grew to include Bob Melvin (Giants), Rocco Baldelli (Twins), and Ron Washington (Angels). In addition, aging pilots Bruce Bochy (Rangers) and Brian Snitker (Braves) retired.
Job security is never guaranteed for managers. In fact, baseball insiders agree that managers are hired to be fired.
When Ted Turner fired future Hall of Famer Bobby Cox as manager of the Braves after the 1981 season, he was asked who was on a short list to replace him, the enigmatic owner said, “It would be Bobby Cox if I hadn’t just fired him. We need someone like him around here.”
Joe Torre replaced Bobby Cox as Atlanta manager, then shared the Hall of Fame's Class of 2014 with him. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images
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Joe Torre, who replaced Cox, won a divisional title in 1982 but was gone after three seasons. He became a Hall of Famer himself after managing the New York Yankees to four world championships, six pennants, and 10 division crowns in 12 years from 1996 to 2007. With 1,173 victories, he compiled a .605 winning percentage and made the playoffs in all 12 of his seasons in the Bronx.
Boston never had such a successful manager. Francona, now managing Cincinnati, managed the most playoff games (45) and won 28 of them, another Red Sox record. He and Bill Carrigan were the only Red Sox managers to win a World Series twice but only John McNamara (1986) and Jimy Williams (1999) were named American League Manager of the Year. Even Cora, after guiding the Red Sox to a club-record 108 wins in 2018, finished second to Bob Melvin of the Oakland Athletics in the voting for top manager that season.
Joe Cronin, who managed the most regular-season games (2,007) and recorded the most victories (1,071) by a Bosox pilot, won only one pennant. So did fellow Hall of Famer Dick Williams, who rallied the Red Sox from ninth in a 10-team league to “The Impossible Dream” pennant drive led by Triple Crown winner Carl Yastrzemski.
Another future Hall of Famer, Joe McCarthy, recorded a .606 winning percentage with the Sox but never finished first there.
The Fenway Faithful still revere Francona, who ended an 86-year world championship drought after guiding the Sox to a playoffs miracle over the Yankees. His 2004 Red Sox remain the only team to rebound from a 3-0 deficit to win an AL Championship Series.
Three years later, Francona won the World Series for Boston again.
Thanks to managers John Farrell (2013) and Cora (2018), the Red Sox are the only team with four world championships in the 21st century. Farrell, a former pitching coach, was the first Red Sox field general to take the team to consecutive division crowns.
Cora’s reported three-year, $21.75 Boston contract, second only to Craig Counsell’s $40 million deal with the Chicago Cubs, carries him through the 2027 campaign.
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