Since his arrival in 2018, Alex Cora has been a staple of the Boston Red Sox. Cora won a World Series in his first season as manager and has compiled a career record of 543-475 in his seven years in Boston. While he missed the 2020 season after he was fired by the Red Sox as part of a sign-stealing scandal, you could count on Cora being in the dugout at Fenway Park.
But things haven’t been as smooth for Cora this season. The Red Sox infield drama has been one of the biggest storylines of the season and turmoil has reigned supreme as Boston enters Saturday’s game with a 22-24 record.
While Cora has survived bigger controversies, he may be toward the end of his rope after a Red Sox rival fired their manager on Saturday.
Alex Cora’s Job is in Danger After Orioles Fire Brandon Hyde
The Baltimore Orioles announced that they have fired manager Brandon Hyde after seven seasons with the team. Hyde joined the Orioles as they began a rebuild in 2019 and helped guide them as they assembled talent, including Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson.
Hyde oversaw the Orioles’ rise to an American League power over the past three seasons as they won the American League East with a 101-61 record in 2023 and returned to the playoffs as a wild card team with a 91-71 record last season. But neither of those seasons resulted in a postseason win, and at 15-28, Baltimore is one of MLB’s most disappointing teams this season, prompting them to make a move.
The Red Sox haven’t been as disappointing as the Orioles, but they could be on the verge of a shake-up. Cora hasn’t had a winning season since leading Boston to a 92-70 record and a spot in the American League Championship Series in 2021, and the Red Sox haven’t met expectations after trading for Garrett Crochet and signing Alex Bregman last winter.
Boston has also played undisciplined baseball throughout the season, including running into three outs on the basepaths in Friday’s 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo also noted that they’ve had 16 games decided by one run or loss, posting a 4-12 record in those contests, including a pair of losses in last week’s series with the Detroit Tigers.
There are other levers left for the Red Sox to pull, such as calling up top prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer. But if Cora can’t find the answers, he could join Hyde in searching for a new job.