The Boston Red Sox entered their series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers with the hopes of their bats finally waking up. Although the Red Sox ended up scoring five runs on Wednesday afternoon, it didn't mean much as they found yet another way to lose, falling 6-5 to the Brewers in extra innings.
With Wednesday's loss in the books, the Red Sox's losing streak has been extended to five games in a row. They're now 5-11 in their last 16 outings since May 12, dropping their overall record to 27-31 in the process — only better than the Baltimore Orioles (19-35) as far as AL East clubs are concerned.
With the bleeding showing no signs of stopping, it's clear the Red Sox must make big changes if they want to get back into the MLB playoff race.
Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Has 2 Months to Save Job Before Deadline
Even though not all of the Red Sox's issues are his fault, manager Alex Cora must be feeling his seat heat up right about now. Boston hasn't come close to meeting expectations since the 49-year-old skipper signed a three-year extension in July 2022 that made "him the second highest-paid manager in MLB" at the time.
Fast forward a few years, and the Red Sox are in danger of missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. Boston's .466 win percentage this year puts the club on pace for 75 wins, which would be its worst total since 2014 (71) and mark the third time in four seasons that the 80-win mark was missed.
Most managers would likely be kicked to the curb with a track record like that, meaning Cora's 2018 World Series ring has likely bought him time with the Red Sox. Having said that, Boston's latest championship victory gets further away with each passing year, making it easier to fathom a potential split from the Puerto Rican bench boss.
Cora's questionable on-field decisions have also hurt his chances of sticking around Boston. Between his premature pitching changes, the Rafael Devers first-base situation, bizarre batting orders, and everything in between, it might be time for the Red Sox front office to hit the reset button.
If things don't turn around and the Red Sox are firmly out of the playoff race come the trade deadline, it could be time to start the search for a new manager. Boston would likely be selling off veterans for future assets at that point, meaning it doesn't make sense to keep Cora beyond that point if the front office is already planning an offseason managerial search.
Cora is a solid human being who brought championship glory back to the Red Sox, but all good things eventually end. Boston can't take the next step toward a return to relevancy if business continues as usual, and firing Cora could be on the horizon if he can't prove he's the man for the job.
The 2025 MLB trade deadline will go into effect on Thursday, July 6 at 6 p.m. ET.