Red Sox Players Left Unhappy with Alex Cora Firing
The Boston Red Sox have been pretty horrible in 2026, and it has cost Alex Cora his job. It happened after they won by 16. They seemed to potentially be turning a corner with a 17-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles, in which Garrett Crochet once again resembled the dominant pitcher he hasn't been lately.
That was not enough, apparently, to salvage what had been a truly ugly start to the year for a team that was in the playoffs just last season. They were expected to be even better in 2026, with young players making leaps they haven't made yet. Now, Cora is gone after seven full seasons.
Alex Cora fired by Red Sox
The Red Sox hired Houston Astros bench coach Alex Cora after the Astros' 2017 title. In 2018, the Red Sox immediately made a huge leap under Cora, enjoying a dominant season and winning the World Series with ease. Cora became the fifth first-year manager in MLB history to win a ring.
Since then, things have been up and down. Cora was fired and suspended for his role in a sign-stealing scandal, but once his suspension was up, the Red Sox brought him back. After a 10-17 start, Cora was fired despite a 621-541 record and the World Series ring.
Many are questioning the direction of the Red Sox. Cora wasn't the one who traded Mookie Betts. He didn't fail to bring back Alex Bregman. He also didn't pivot to signing pitchers in the wake of that, pitchers who have largely struggled in 2026.
The front office and ownership have been underwhelming during Cora's tenure, but they have mostly all kept their jobs. Ownership has been largely silent during this tumultuous period, which is a very telling fact in all of this.
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Trevor Story left unhappy
Trevor Story publicly questioned the decision to fire Alex Cora. He told reporters that he didn't find the team's explanation for firing the manager to be "satisfactory," and he wondered what direction the club is headed now.
"I mean obviously, it's kind of up in the air what the true direction of the franchise is," the two-time All-Star infielder said on Sunday morning. "Some of the best coaches in the world didn't get a fair shot... Those are conversations that need to be had. They'll be had today and onward going forward, too."
"He had our backs every single day," Story continued. "He was very truthful with players and took bullets for us and did everything you can ask for and more as a manager. I just can't express how thankful I am to have played for him. Yeah, I've got a love for that guy."
"I came here to win, and I came here to be successful," said the shortstop. "And we had a flash of that last year. We're looking to build on that. Obviously not off to a great start. But yeah, some of the direction needs to be cleared up, in my opinion." Story is currently batting under .200.
Roman Anthony echoes sentiment
Roman Anthony was one of those young stars expected to make the leap, but he hasn't. Even after a nice showing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, he hasn't had the same success thus far for the Red Sox. He believes that's why the Red Sox have struggled. Players play. Managers don't.
"I don't think anyone really expected it," Anthony said after the firing. "At the end of the day, when we take the field, it's on us. It's not AC's job to go out there and do the things that we're expecting to do as players. So, I mean, it's nobody's fault but ours."
The Red Sox believe their coach was unfairly fired, and they responded with another win on Sunday. Will it be enough to turn their season around?
