The Alex Cora firing by the Boston Red Sox came as a slight shock to the baseball world, as it came early in the season. Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow mentioned in his presser on Sunday morning that, despite claiming that actions such as this early on make teams worse, it was something that he had to do. However, there’s been a surprising lack of transparency in the organization regarding this matter.
Dust Settles for Red Sox After Alex Cora Firing
Is Jason Varitek Still In The Organization?
Red Sox (and MLB) legend Jason Varitek was one of the many other coaching changes by Boston on Saturday night. The former catcher was hired on to be a special assistant to the General Manager in 2012, shortly after he retired. He stuck around in multiple roles before eventually joining Cora’s staff as a player information coach. When he was let go of his duties, he held the title of Game Planning and Run Prevention coach.
When the overhaul happened, it was stated that Varitek would remain with the organization but would be reassigned to a different role. Based on developments since then, this seems far from the actual truth. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, a source close to Varitek had revealed that there was no actual plan for a reassignment. Now, it’s unclear what potential assignment this could be, or how quickly it will be decided. After all, the post did say “Details of his reassignment will be announced at a later date.” But while Varitek himself did not comment, the speculation is that he won’t return. This seemed to be confirmed by his wife, Catherine, in an X post on Sunday.
Red Sox Nation,
Thank you. For the love, support, and loyalty you’ve shown to my husband for the past 3 decades. Forever grateful ❤️— Catherine Varitek (@CatherinVaritek) April 26, 2026
Seeing a well-revered member of the organization of almost 30 years going out in a move like this definitely hits hard for some fans. Surely, the thought was that he would return to a front office role, even in a small capacity. But it sounds like his fate was met the same as the others.
David Hamilton Seen as “Last Straw” By Front Office
Yes, this is a real talking point. While he is a weird nail in the coffin in a long-running problem with the Red Sox, David Hamilton may have contributed to the underlying reason for the firings. Under former CBO Chaim Bloom, the Red Sox weren’t exactly successful at the major league level. However, just as Bloom did in Tampa Bay, he handled development and drafting well in his four years. He drafted key contributors such as Connelly Early and Roman Anthony. He made mistakes in trades, notably Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts. But in other trades, he brought in guys like Wilyer Abreu and Hamilton.
Hamilton surprisingly played a huge role in this. The front office believed in him, even after the Caleb Durbin trade in February. When the Milwaukee Brewers stopped by earlier this month, the speedster went 2-for-6 against his former team, scoring twice and walking twice. Those aren’t exactly stats that jump out as alarming. However, it was reportedly enough for the front office to question how much the former coaching staff helped with development.
And it is a fair point. Just look at someone like Kristian Campbell. Campbell was a top prospect at the start of last year, and ended up having a hot April. He was sent to the minors by mid-June. The same could be said of Kyle Harrison, who was also sent to Milwaukee for Durbin. Harrison is currently 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA with the Brewers. But per Julian McWilliams of CBS Sports, it seemed that Hamilton was the end of their tolerance with the Cora-led staff.
Lack of Communication with Players
One of the more jarring things about this weekend was the way upper management handled the situation with the players. There was already the fact that Owner John Henry and Team President Sam Kennedy were not present when the team introduced interim manager Chad Tracy in Baltimore. But in addition, reliever Garrett Whitlock stated the front office wasn’t open to taking questions about the decision. In fact, most players found out about the news through social media. In this era, that’s probably what happens with most news. But with the suddenness of the move, a heads up or a team meeting on Saturday would’ve been a little more professional.
Some Red Sox players found out about the details of the firings of Alex Cora and the coaches on social media, like the rest of the world, I’m told.
“We’re gonna meet together tomorrow as a team,” Sam Kennedy told MasLive. “We wanted to meet with Alex before talking to anybody…
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) April 26, 2026
A lot of intel surrounding the Cora situation has come out since Saturday night, and there’s surely more news to come as the weeks pass. Despite this shocking move, the Red Sox have to readjust their coaching and turn things around. Hopefully, this move opens up new opportunities.
Main Photo Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
