Red Sox Analyst Shares Theory For Alex Cora Firing originally appeared on NESN.
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One month ago, the Boston Red Soxshockingly fired Alex Cora and several of his assistant coaches less than a month into the 2026 season.
While Cora was still under contract with the Red Sox through 2027, there’d been years of tension and friction building up given the team’s inconsistent and disappointing performance since the 2021 ALCS.
During his radio appearance on Tuesday’s episode of “The Greg Hill Show,” NESN color analyst Lou Merloni shared his thoughts on why he thinks Cora was let go.
“My reaction to it, to be honest with you, is I think it just came to a crossroads,” Merloni said. “I don’t think Cora wants to manage a young team. I think he wants veteran players. I think that’s been pretty clear the last three or four years. At the offseason, he wants this player, that player. At the trade deadline, he wants this player, that player, and it’s never brought in here.”
“Gut-punching right now” Red Sox insider/color analyst @LouMerloni joins!
What does Merloni make of the gut-wrenching weekend- that saw leads slip and stars falter? With the A.L. struggling as a whole, can Red Sox capitalize? #Baseball#MLB#RedSoxpic.twitter.com/Qh4PcR4vHr— WEEI (@WEEI) May 26, 2026
When Cora started managing the Red Sox in 2018, he inherited a veteran, star-studded team that was ready to win now. That made his job relatively easy as Boston cruised to 108 wins and a World Series title in his first season at the helm.
The Red Sox have gone in a different direction since then, however, shedding all of the stars from that team and attempting to rebuild around a new, young core. That strategy has had growing pains, including three straight years of missing the playoffs from 2022 to 2024 despite Cora’s repeated requests for veteran help.
Cora grew impatient and appeared frustrated at times in recent seasons. He also seemed to be at odds with Boston’s front office, which may have contributed to his dismissal.
“It’s a young team the last four years, basically,” Merloni added. “2021, you’re in the ALCS, and it’s kind of been a similar approach since. It’s like, go young and see if the guys can play in the big leagues.”
The Red Sox haven’t improved much since firing Cora, so the team’s recent struggles can’t be blamed on him.
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