Red Sox’s 3 best Alex Cora replacements after firing manager

The Boston Red Sox shockingly fired Alex Cora after a rough start to the season and inserted AAA manager Chad Tracy into the role as interim manager. The Red Sox are keeping all their options open by appointing an interim manager, but the timing of the Cora firing makes it feel like they have an alternate plan in mind.

Cora had been with the team since 2018, when he joined the team and won a World Series in his first season. He owned a 620-541 record in his eight seasons. Three of the last four Red Sox managers have a World Series win in Boston, which makes this decision even more important given the weight of expectations.

Chad Tracy

Tracy will be the interim manager, and his strengths in player development could lead him to a permanent position. If the young manager and former third-round pick begins to connect with Boston’s young roster, the front office might want to keep him on board.

Tracy was a manager in A ball for the Los Angeles Angels from 2015 to 2017, before moving on to be their minor league field coordinator for four seasons. Tracy took the Worcester job in 2022 and has been with the Red Sox’s AAA affiliate ever since.

The benefit of hiring Tracy is that he is very familiar with most of Boston’s young roster, having managed them on their road to the show. A comparable is John Schneider becoming the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays after managing Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Bo Bichette in the minors, which worked out well for them.

George Lombard

It doesn’t get much more interesting as a managerial option than George Lombard. The current bench coach for the Detroit Tigers is often mentioned for managerial openings, but hasn’t found a home yet. He has a successful coaching history, serving as the first base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers and winning a World Series in 2020.

The Red Sox are likely to have interest in hiring a manager who excels at player development, given the youth movement in Boston. Lombard does have a background in player development, and also fits the mold of being a former major leaguer.

While Lombard might be one of the best external candidates, it’d be interesting for the Red Sox to hire him because of a potential matchup with his son. George Lombard Jr. is currently a top prospect in the New York Yankees organization, and the possibility of some Red Sox-Yankees matchups down the line with a father-son duo in either dugout creates some great storylines.

JD Martinez

When trying to think of an ex-Red Sox player who could be a fun hire for the team, JD Martinez was one of the first ones to come to mind. He was a good teammate when he won the World Series with the Red Sox in 2018 and stayed with the team for five seasons. He also joined the New York Mets’ baseball operations department after taking a year off from retirement, so he is still involved in the game.

There will likely be plenty of ex-player names thrown out there to take the Red Sox job. However, it’s important to stay realistic and consider players who are still around the league, in front-office or coaching roles. Martinez loves the game and feels like a lifer.

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