After almost seven-plus seasons across two tenures in the dugout, Alex Cora is out as manager of the Boston Red Sox. Team brass made the call on Saturday following the team’s blowout win over the Baltimore Orioles. The surprise firing of Cora was in direct response to the team’s 10-17 start to the season, which has landed them in last place in the American League East. The cellar-dwelling is in defiance of expectations coming into 2026, as the Sox added a number of notable veterans to the roster this past winter, coming off an 89-win campaign in 2025.
With Cora freshly defenestrated, the focus in Boston now comes on who will be the next permanent manager. It’s early yet, of course, and if the Sox decide to undertake a thorough search for the manager who will lead them on a long-term basis, then it won’t happen until this coming offseason. That limits the near-term possibilities of course, but we’ll speculate on some names anyway. Let’s do that now with five Red Sox manager candidates.
1. Chad Tracy
The most obvious candidate is the 40-year-old Tracy, who was named the Red Sox’s interim manager on Saturday. Tracy, who spent parts of eight seasons in the minors as a first baseman and left fielder, has managed the Red Sox’s Triple-A affiliate in Worcester since the start of the 2022 season. Over that span, he skippered to a record of 322-296 (.521). This season, Worcester was off to a 13-11 start under Tracy. Obviously, if he rights the ship in Boston and helps the Sox up the standings, then it seems quite likely that he’ll be given the permanent gig. In that sense, the job may be Tracy’s to lose.
2. Rocco Baldelli
The managerial free agent and former skipper of the Minnesota Twins figures to be a hot property next winter. In seven seasons as the Twins’ dugout signal-caller, Baldelli went 527-505 (.511) with three division titles and as many playoff berths. In 2023, the Twins under Baldelli broke their miraculously long playoff game losing streak. Known for his rapport with players and for his capacity to implement the visions of the analytics-driven front office, the 44-year-old Baldelli is an attractive candidate for many reasons. As a New Hampshire native, he’s also a New Englander.
3. Ryan Flaherty
The 39-year-old former big-league infielder and Maine native is now Craig Counsell’s bench coach with the Chicago Cubs. So he’s learning from one of the best managers in the business. After his playing career ended, he worked in scouting with the San Diego Padres and then in 2022 briefly served as acting manager while Bob Melvin was sidelined with a case of COVID. Prior to be named bench coach in Chicago, Flaherty served the same role with the Padres.
4. Brandon Hyde
Hyde, 52, had a losing record as manager of the Baltimore Orioles over parts of seven seasons, but that’s mostly because he led them out of their down-to-the-studs rebuild. Eventually, the O’s under Hyde notched a 101-win season and two playoff berths. His familiarity with the AL East is a potential selling point for Boston.
5. Brad Ausmus
Ausmus, the eternal retread candidate, is now bench coach for the Yankees, and he has plenty of big-league managerial experience — four seasons with the Detroit Tigers and one in 2019 with the Los Angeles Angels. Across those five seasons, Ausmus compiled a record of 314-332 (.486) with one playoff appearance, which came in his first season with Detroit in 2014. Ausmus is now 57, and there would be an undeniable appeal in plucking him from their blood rival. He’s a Connecticut native.
Exhaustive list? Of course not. To repeat, Tracy is probably in control of his own destiny when it comes to becoming the permanent manager in Boston. If he isn’t, then a search isn’t likely to take place until the end of the current season. Until further notice, these seem like plausible candidates to assume the permanent helm for the Red Sox.
