Why Craig Breslow fired Alex Cora: Inside Red Sox's startling decision, which left some players in tears

Breslow made the surprising managerial change on Saturday, and one source said the front office leader's 'back is against the wall'

Julian McWilliams

Apr 27, 2026

9:43 am ET

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5 min read

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Trevor Story, Wilyer Abreu and Carlos Narváez, among others, broke down in tears. The news hit hard on Saturday night at the Red Sox's team hotel in Baltimore.

When Red Sox manager Alex Cora and five members of his coaching staff were fired, the questions were many, but one hit the hardest: "What do we do now?"

"You keep going," one coach responded.

Cora was dismissed along with hitting coach Peter Fatse, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson, bench coach Ramón Vázquez, third base coach Kyle Hudson and major-league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin, the team announced.

The decision to part ways was sudden, but not entirely surprising.

Cora survived the Astros' sign-stealing scandal, serving a one-year ban before returning as manager in 2021. Not under Dave Dombrowski, then head of baseball operations, but under newly appointed chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. He outlasted Bloom's tenure and was even involved in the hiring of chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, a rarity for a manager.

But in the third year of Breslow's tenure and just the second year of Cora's three-year extension, the clock had begun to tick on one of the winningest managers in franchise history.

Cora has long said managers take jobs knowing they will eventually be fired.

Saturday evening in Baltimore, following a 17-1 win, the Red Sox's largest margin of victory this season, that moment arrived.

Why now?

Here's how Breslow answered that question when he spoke to reporters on Sunday:

"It really comes down to the belief that we have the players and the belief that we have in the group to accomplish what we set out to accomplish by acting today," Breslow said. "It gives us 135 games ahead of us, so we've got almost a full season's worth of run to take advantage of this fresh start and ultimately to compete for a division."

Behind the decision, which was Breslow's and backed by Red Sox owner John Henry and team president Sam Kennedy, was more than wins and losses. According to multiple people familiar with the situation, the move had been building over time.

Breslow, left, is in his third season with the Red Sox.

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"It was a culmination of misalignment that predates the current front office," said one league source.

The misalignment, in part, came down to the product on the field.

The Red Sox's roster issues

Cora revered Dombrowski, an executive known for spending and acquiring star talent through free agency and trades. His approach leaned traditional, relying on scouts, his coaching staff and Cora to shape the roster.

Under Bloom and Breslow, however, the philosophy shifted. With a greater emphasis on metrics, roster flexibility, depth and matchups, the organization moved toward a more measured, process-driven approach, one that also coincided with a reduced appetite for spending.

That left Cora frustrated, sometimes using his phrase "the roster is the roster" during press conferences to signal his dissatisfaction.

Instead of relying on established stars at set positions, Cora was tasked with maximizing the entire roster, one he felt at times was either too young, lacked talent or both.

Consider the last couple of years, for example.

The front office was bullish on former Red Sox infielder David Hamilton during his time with the club, believing his speed, defensive versatility, overall athleticism and underlying metrics made him a clear asset.

Perhaps even more so than Story, a former All-Star in the latter stages of his career.

But some on the coaching staff viewed Hamilton as a flawed player, one with tools but lacking feel for the game. Internally, there was a belief he could develop into an everyday player, though questions remained about whether that would happen in Boston.

The front office, though still confident in Hamilton, traded him to the Brewers during the offseason. When he returned this month and played well against the Red Sox, the front office again began questioning the coaching staff's developmental process with younger players.

"Why do a lot of players go to other places and get better?" one source said of the questions being asked. "Why do other guys come here and get worse?"

From the front office perspective, the program lacked structure and was not conducive to consistent player development.

That, however, was disputed by others familiar with the situation, who pointed to the development of Romy Gonzalez, Rob Refsnyder and Jarren Duran, among others.

"We've gotten the most out of guys," the person said. "Players leave here and get paid."

After nearly being out of the league entering 2022, Refsnyder signed a one-year, $6.25 million deal with Seattle f