How Alex Cora’s last hours as Red Sox manager played out | Chris Cotillo

BALTIMORE — In the minutes after the Red Sox routed the Orioles 17-1 on Saturday afternoon in Baltimore, Alex Cora, the manager, cracked a beer, joked with players, and lauded his team for a complete game that snapped a four-game losing streak. Postgame dinner plans were made after an early 12:05 p.m. ET start at Camden Yards. When Cora and his staff returned to the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, an organizational shakeup awaited them. Principal owner John Henry, team president/CEO Sam Kennedy, and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow fired Cora and five coaches—Ramón Vázquez (bench coach), Pete Fatse (hitting coach), Kyle Hudson (first base coach), Dillon Lawson (assistant hitting coach), and Joe Cronin (major league hitting strategy coach)—effective immediately. The scene at the hotel was one of shock. Around 8:05 p.m. ET, Kennedy and Breslow departed for dinner, while Henry remained in the lobby. Players like Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Masataka Yoshida returned from dinner, and the crowd in the lobby grew as Cora and the fired coaches emerged with suitcases packed. A Mercedes shuttle bus labeled “Coaches4Hire, LLC” arrived to transport them to the airport. Jason Varitek, a franchise icon, reportedly took the news particularly hard despite the team’s statement that he would be reassigned to a new role within the organization. The fired coaches—José Flores and Parker Guinn—remained at the hotel to greet their former colleagues. In the hours after the news, the group drank together and reminisced. By about 9 p.m. ET, the five fired coaches—Vázquez, Fatse, Hudson, Lawson, and Cronin—assumed their seats on the shuttle. Cora, emerging last, thanked team support staff and said, “I’m happy.” Varitek, however, reportedly struggled with the news, despite the team’s reassurance. Henry did not acknowledge reporters, while Kennedy and Breslow deferred questions to a later announcement at Camden Yards. Kennedy reflected on the difficulty of the day, stating, “Incredibly difficult day. We’ll discuss more tomorrow. Grateful to Alex for everything he has done for the organization and all the guys. We’re gonna move forward tomorrow.” The Red Sox did not hold a team-wide announcement, with some players learning of the shakeup via social media. This was the first in-season managerial change since 2001, when Jimy Williams was fired in August. The news came ahead of a planned Sunday game against the Rays. Cora, in his final moments, said, “That’s baseball, man. It’s unreal.” By 1 a.m. ET, he was posing with his former lieutenants on a private jet back to Boston. Cora had previously stated that managers sign contracts knowing they will eventually be fired, which happened Saturday, one month into a three-year, $21.75 million contract. The Red Sox’s move marked a rare in-season managerial shift, reflecting broader organizational decisions.