2018 was forever ago
Boston fired Alex Cora Saturday night. They were 10-17. They had just beaten Baltimore 17-1. It didn't matter. Alex Cora won a World Series in his first season in Boston in 2018, but the club has been back to the playoffs just twice in the six seasons since. But the problems in Boston aren't manager problems: the Red Sox are the worst offense in the American League. They're last in slugging percentage and last in home runs in the AL. They've hit 19 home runs as a team. You cannot manage your way out of that.
All the numbers are bad: The Sox are 27th in the league in OPS. They’re a bit better in runs scored, at 23rd in the league. But their walk rates and chase rates are below average, and they’re middling in speed. April 2026 has been their fifth-worst offensive month as a franchise since 2000. Their most reliable source of power, Rafael Devers, was sent to San Francisco last season and Roman Anthony–who showed so much promise as a rookie in 2025–has been just okay so far in 2026. It was perhaps a bit optimistic to expect a 21-year-old to carry an offense.
Cleaning house: It wasn’t just Alex Cora who was shown the door on Saturday. An additional five members of his coaching staff, mostly hitting coaches, were let go, and game planning and run prevention coach Jason Varitek, who is in his 30th consecutive year with the Sox as a player and manager, has been reassigned within the organization. The Sox had to call down to the minors to get a new manager: Chad Tracy from Triple-A Worcester was named interim coach, and won his first game 5-3 yesterday, over the Orioles.
Larry Bird is not walking through that door: It’s only April, and while the Yankees look very strong they do have a recent history of June swoons that let AL East opponents back into the race. But the Red Sox only have one hitter in their lineup with a proven power history: 33-year-old Trevor Story, who currently sits at two home runs after 27 games. The answer to their hitting woes might not be on the roster, and acquiring a legitimate home-run-hitting bat at the trade deadline can be costly.
