Alex Cora Sounds Open to Managing Again After Red Sox Firing

The Boston Red Sox certainly look different right now than they did at the beginning of the season, to say the least.

Boston opened the 2026 season expecting to be contenders in the American League after winning 89 games last season. Alex Cora led the charge as Boston's manager, Roman Anthony had sky-high buzz around him to the point that some thought he could be the 2026 American League MVP, and Garrett Crochet sat atop the Red Sox's rotation after finishing second in the 2025 American League Cy Young Award race.

Things didn't go as planned initially. Cora and a handful of coaches were fired with Chad Tracy replacing him as the team's interim manager. Both Anthony and Crochet have been on the Injured List for months at this point and the first few months were a struggle. Boston dropped as low as 14 games below .500, but then completely turned its season around in late June. Now, the Red Sox are 64-54 and Tracy looks like one of the favorites for the AL Manager of the Year Award. It's been a wild season, to say the least.

The Former Red Sox Manager Is Out There For The Taking

Feb 22, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) looks on from the dugout during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But, what about Boston's former manager? Things have been quiet on the Cora front since shortly after his firing. He was offered the Philadelphia Phillies manager role, but opted to turn it town and take the summer off.

On Monday night, Cora spoke with Karl Ravech and Justin Musil on the “Dirt from the Dugout” podcast about why he isn't in a dugout right now and what his future could look like.

“I’m like, you know what, I needed my family, for how much I love the game,” Cora said. “I’ll say it again, it’s three different feelings: happy for my family, upset that they didn’t let me finish the job and honestly, relieved I don’t have to go through scouting reports and the matrix and talk to the media twice a day and live in the bubble of, ‘We have to do this.’"

He did acknowledge that he expects to manage again.

“I think at one point, I’m gonna get back. When? We don’t know. We don’t know."

Former Player and Manager Alex Cora Joins the Dugout | DFTD https://t.co/y9JcPh3SPm
— Karl Ravech (@karlravechespn) August 11, 2026

When the Red Sox fired Cora, it certainly came as a surprise. He is viewed around the league as one of the best overall managers out there. But things clearly weren't clicking for the organization in general this season before the move.

The Red Sox have seemingly found their answer with Tracy. Cora got a break and it sounds like he'll look for an opportunity again in the not-so-distant future.

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